COLUMBUS -- Jaxon Smith-Njigba could be ready return to the Ohio State lineup.

That final, official call will have to wait until closer to kickoff. And the superstar is not the only Buckeyes wide receiver still being evaluated as the program makes final preparations to host Arkansas State.

Julian Fleming has been designated as a game-time decision alongside Smith-Njigba, once again stretching the Buckeyes a bit thin in the passing game with Kamryn Babb already ruled out with a knee injury. The Buckeyes remain a 44-point favorite on Saturday in the Horseshoe, but they'll potentially have to validate that without two starters since there is little incentive to rush either Fleming or Smith-Njigba back for a non-conference tuneup.

"As the week goes on, we'll get a better feel for it," Ohio State coach Ryan Day said on Tuesday at the Woody Hayes Athletic Center. "We'll keep evaluating [Smith-Njigba] throughout the week.

" ... I leave all that up to the doctors and the professionals. We're not going to bring him back if there's any risk. We'll make sure he's 100 percent before putting him back in the game."

Clearly Smith-Njigba didn't get all the way to that point during the week of practices or he wouldn't have carried any sort of injury designation at all into Saturday morning.

The junior tried multiple times to get back on the field last week against Notre Dame, sprinting on the sideline and riding an exercise bike in an effort to shake off what has been described by the Buckeyes as a hamstring issue. The Buckeyes are leaving the door open that he could return to action against Arkansas State, just as it's cracked for Fleming.

Either way, the focus will be on the wide receivers as Ohio State arrives in the Horseshoe with three of them listed on the Status Report released by the program on Saturday morning.

Ohio State Game-Time Decisions

-- WR Jaxon Smith-Njigba

-- WR Julian Fleming

Unavailable Buckeyes

-- WR Kamryn Babb

-- CB Jordan Hancock

-- CB Lloyd McFarquhar

-- LB/DE Mitchell Melton

-- RB Evan Pryor