Ohio State Buckeyes Rivals Still Targeting Committed 5-Star Recruit Chris Henry Jr.

Chris Henry Jr. is set on being part of the Ohio State Buckeyes, but some rivals are still hoping to poach him.

Aug 31, 2024; Columbus, OH, USA; Ohio State Buckeyes wide receiver recruit Chris Henry Jr. walks out on the field prior to the NCAA football game against the Akron Zips at Ohio Stadium. | Adam Cairns/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK

The Ohio State Buckeyes top commit in the Class of 2026 is Chris Henry Jr.

Henry Jr. is the son of the late Chris Henry Sr., who spent his professional career playing for the Cincinnati Bengals, passing away in 2009. Henry played at West Virginia and then had a 5-year career with the Bengals, totaling a career-best 605 yards in his second season in the league.

Henry Jr. is staying in the same state that his father played in. He will be attending Ohio State, and he has not waivered since committing, and in the era of NIL, that's a huge plus for just how well the Buckeyes were able to sell their program. Ohio State is undoubtedly the best place in the country for rising stars, especially at receiver.

Henry Jr. is ranked as the third-best recruit in the Class of 2026 and the 21st-best player nationally. He is the 5th-best player from the state of California. With those rankings comes quite the allure from top programs, something Henry Jr. continues to deal with despite having committed to Ohio State back in July 2023. Specifically, the Oregon Ducks and Texas Longhorns continued to call Henry Jr.

“They are still hitting me up, but I’m at Ohio State, so," Henry Jr. siad via Marcus Benjamin.

Oregon and Texas continue to push for Ohio State 5-star WR commit Chris Henry Jr., @BenjaminRivals reports.

“They are still hitting me up, but I’m at Ohio State, so.”

Read: https://t.co/WtgxKOT4DZ pic.twitter.com/QEvHkj1HFU

— Rivals (@Rivals) August 24, 2025

Henry Jr. will be able to be on the field with Jeremiah Smith next season, and that combo is going to be lethal. Playing at Mater Dei now, Henry Jr. has already started to put on highlight reel plays during his final high school year.

That said, Ohio State was Henry Jr.'s last collegiate visit, so there isn't much fear that another program will be able to sway his opinion. He did visit with Miami, Colorado, USC, Oregon and other programs throughout 2025. Locked in with the Buckeyes, Henry Jr. will be a sound quarterback to receive passes from with both Julian Sayin and five-star Tavien St. Clair expected to be in Columbus next season.

With a slew of talented receivers having come through Ohio State, Henry Jr. is going to continue a legacy that Marvin Harrison Jr., Jeremiah Smith and many others helped form.