Ohio State Has Massive Competition For 5-Star WR Commit Chris Henry Jr.

5-star wide receiver Chris Henry Jr. has been an Ohio State commitment for quite some time. Some big-time schools are looking to try to flip him, though, so he's far from a lock for the Buckeyes.

Chris Henry Jr. was at Ohio Stadium to watch the Ohio State Buckeyes take on the Michigan Wolverines in an NCAA football game on Saturday Nov. 30, 2024. | Lori Schmidt / Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Chris Henry Jr. is the consensus No. 1 overall wide receiver in the 2026 class, so it makes sense that he's committed to the Ohio State Buckeyes. Ohio State has become an elite wide receiver factory and an NFL pipeline. The better the wideout recruit, the better the chance they'll end up at OSU.

Henry — who is the son of former Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Chris Henry, who tragically passed away in 2009 — has been committed to Ohio State since July of 2023. That's a long commitment in today's era, where recruits seemingly flip and flop commitments every other weekend.

That doesn't mean the Buckeyes have Henry's commitment on lock, though. In fact, it was recently revealed on social media that he's going to be taking official visits elsewhere in the coming months. He will take his official visit to Ohio State on June 20th, but he'll also take official visits to Miami, USC and Oregon.

BREAKING: Five-Star Ohio State WR commit Chris Henry Jr. has locked in his Official Visits, he tells me for @On3Recruits

•Miami: May 30-June 1
•USC: June 6-8
•Oregon: June 13-15
•Ohio State: June 20-22

Ranked as the #1 WR in the ‘26 Class (per On3)https://t.co/ih4BKIch35 pic.twitter.com/UcVahoYsLn

— Hayes Fawcett (@Hayesfawcett3) February 19, 2025

Henry is from Santa Ana, California, so one would think USC and Oregon would be compelling options for him as a West Coast kid. Henry told Tom Loy of 247Sports that Oregon is a major contender for his services, right behind OSU.

"My interest in Oregon is definitely up there," Henry told Loy. "I would put them right behind Ohio State."

Oregon head coach Dan Lanning has built a championship-contending program that can put up points, and playing for that brand in Autzen Stadium has long been a draw for many of the top athletes on the college football recruiting trail.

Still, Ohio State has a ton going for it in this one. As mentioned, the Buckeyes pump out NFL talent and they know how to get their receivers the ball. Jeremiah Smith was the No. 1 overall recruit in the 2024 recruiting class and he had a fantastic freshman season for the Buckeyes. Being a young player does not disqualify you from playing time in Columbus, where the only thing that matters is talent and championships.

Lastly, throw in the fact that Brian Hartline is Henry's primary recruiter for the Buckeyes and he just became OSU's offensive coordinator with Chip Kelly heading back to the NFL. That's a strong connection to lean on if you're the Buckeyes on the recruiting trail.

Ultimately, Henry is Ohio State's recruit to lose and the Buckeyes are still in a great position to retain his commitment. That doesn't mean there won't be massive competition for the nation's top wide receiver recruit, though.