What Chris Henry Jr. told Ryan Day while signing with Ohio State

Ohio State fans can finally breathe easy as the No. 1 receiver in the class of 2026, Chris Henry Jr., announced on Friday during ESPN's "Pat McAfee Show" that he will stick with his original commitment to the Buckeyes.

There was some uncertainty about whether Henry would stay on with his commitment after wide receivers coach/offensive coordinator Brian Hartline accepted the South Florida head coaching job on Wednesday morning.

Before making his announcement on Friday, Henry called Ohio State head coach Ryan Day to share that he was heading to the Buckeyes, which made Day extremely happy.

"Just know at the end of the day, this is a place where we are going to take care of you," Day said. "It’s not going to be easy, but we’ve got a great culture… Wait til you hear Buckeye Nation go wild.”

Chris Henry Jr. calls Ryan Day to tell him he’s coming to Ohio State:

Day: “Just know at the end of the day, this is a place where we are going to take care of you… It’s not going to be easy, but we’ve got a great culture… Wait til you hear Buckeye Nation go wild.” pic.twitter.com/NZRD1RAbiS
— The Silver Bulletin (@tSilverBulletin) December 5, 2025

Henry is currently attending Mater Dei High School in Santa Ana, CA, and recently, there was speculation that both USC and Oregon were in the running to land him.

USC felt more like a dream than a reality in the race to land Henry, while Oregon appeared to be the frontrunner as of Thursday.

Rivals.com changed its crystal ball prediction on Wednesday, shifting from a forecast of Henry sticking with Ohio State to one suggesting he may flip to Oregon. This change came after Henry decided to take some time to reassess his options following the news about Hartline.

Something must have changed between Thursday night and Friday morning, as Henry, who has been committed to Ohio State since the summer of 2023, decided that it was the best place for him to play college football.

The Buckeyes should be extremely pleased that they secured Henry, as he has the potential to be one of the best receivers to come out of Ohio State.

Henry may not have the same talent as Jeremiah Smith did coming out of high school, but he possesses the ability to become a first-round pick in the 2029 NFL Draft.

With Carnell Tate likely to declare for the 2026 NFL Draft, Henry could step in as Ohio State's No. 2 wide receiver as early as next season.

Henry could also ensure that the Buckeyes don’t have to spend a lot of money on transfer receivers this offseason and can allocate resources to other positions.

The Buckeyes have a big weekend ahead as they'll face Indiana in the Big Ten Championship. Ohio State could use the good news about Henry as inspiration to help it secure a win on Saturday.