Ohio State wide receiver Chris Henry Jr. was a highly recruited five-star prospect in the class of 2026, and he committed to coach Ryan Day’s Buckeyes over offers from the Georgia Bulldogs, USC Trojans, and Clemson Tigers. Henry was the No. 1 wide receiver and a consensus top-10 prospect in the class of 2026.
The talented freshman has been compared to Buckeyes legend Marvin Harrison Jr. due to his lanky frame and explosive plays.
Chris Henry Jr. Garners Julian Sayin Praise
While speaking to reporters after spring training on Thursday, returning Ohio State quarterback Julian Sayin was optimistic about Henry’s potential in Columbus.
“He’s been making great plays. I’m excited about him,” Sayin said.
Sayin had formed an almost telepathic connection with talented wide receivers Jeremiah Smith and Carnell Tate last season, but lost the latter to the draft process. In many circles, Henry is seen as Tate’s replacement in the Buckeyes’ wide receiver room.
Due to their immense offensive firepower last season, the Buckeyes earned an impressive PFSN’s CFB Offense Impact score of 90.9, just behind the Indiana Hoosiers.
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Buckeyes Almost Lost Henry’s Commitment
Henry verbally committed to Ohio State in 2023, but the Buckeyes almost lost his commitment when former offensive coordinator Brian Hartline took the USF Bulls head coaching job on signing day (Dec. 3), causing the wide receiver to reconsider his options.
During a Dec. 8 interview on the “Austin & Birm” show, Day revealed how he convinced Henry to join Ohio State even after the departure of Hartline, instead of flipping to the Oregon Ducks.
“We really wanted Chris. We think he’s a tremendous talent. He’s been committed for a long time and a lot of other people want him too. All of a sudden, the recruiter coach that you’d built a relationship with gets the opportunity to become a head coach on Signing Day. That’s a lot to process,” Day said. “I felt for Chris because now there’s a lot of noise.
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“A lot of confusion, and to his credit, he took a step back. We obviously let him know that nothing’s changed here other than the fact that we’re going to try and find the best coach in America to go coach you that we can, just like we’ve done before with other coaching changes and that everything else is still in place.”
Henry will be part of a talented wide receivers room that includes the returning Smith and Brandon Inniss, and transfers Kyle Parker (LSU Tigers) and Devin McCuin (UTSA Roadrunners).
