CJ Stroud has led Ohio State to a College Football Playoff berth while emerging as a finalist for the Heisman Trophy for the second straight year. While that's impressive, it's perhaps even more impressive that Stroud has managed to accomplish these feats largely without the services of arguably his best wide receiver, Jaxon Smith-Njigba, who has missed much of the year due to a nagging hamstring injury.

It was previously reported that Smith-Njigba will miss Ohio State's College Football Playoff matchup with Georgia and will enter the NFL Draft.

CJ Stroud was asked about not having Smith-Njigba for the College Football Playoff. Here's his response, per Joey Kaufman of The Columbus Dispatch.

“It's been tough all year. That's my brother. I'm literally on the phone with him all day, every day. He's asking me about practice. He's asking me what's going on, trying to sneak into practice, but he's not allowed to, because his hamstring really is that bad.”

CJ Stroud said it's “been tough” not having Jaxon Smith-Njigba out there for Ohio State football. Stroud even said that the star receiver has been trying to “sneak into practice.”

Despite his absence, which has limited him to just three games and will keep him out of the College Football Playoff, Stroud said Smith-Njigba has been a great leader.

The talented wideout suffered the hamstring injury during Ohio State football's first game of the season. Even without Smith-Njigba, Stroud and the Buckeyes have had one of the best offenses in the nation.

CJ Stroud has thrown for 3,340 yards and 37 touchdowns, with Ohio State averaging 44.5 points per game, the second-highest total in the country.

While their performance on the field hasn't suffered without Smith-Njigba, CJ Stroud and his teammates know just how important he is to the team.