Ducks Digest

Oregon Ducks Pushing to Flip Ohio State Buckeyes 5-Star Commit Chris Henry Jr.

With Ohio State Buckeye's offensive coordinator Chip Kelly leaving the program to join the Las Vegas Raiders, the Oregon Ducks and coach Dan Lanning are looking to poach class of 2026 wide receiver Buckeye commit Chris Henry Jr. to sway him to the "Duck side."

Ally Osborne

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.
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
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On his social media, wide receiver and No. 6 ranked recruit in the class of 2026 Chris Henry Jr. seems fully sold on the Ohio State Buckeyes. Son of former NFL and West Virginia receiver Chris Henry, the junior has been committed to the Buckeyes since July 28th, 2023. However, the Oregon Ducks are making a move to sway Henry Jr. away from Columbus and flip his commitment of the five-star receiver.

Henry Jr. has continued to take visits after agreeing to join the Buckeyes. Since his commitment, Henry Jr. stopped by three different programs in Penn State (September 2nd, 2023), Oregon (November 9th, 2024), and USC (November 16th, 2024). With the exit of Buckeyes' offensive coordinator Chip Kelly to the Las Vegas Raiders, those other programs could capitalize on that new absence.

He also visited Oregon again last week for Junior Day, where the Ducks bring top high school recruits to discover more about their program. Amongst Henry Jr. and these recruits were a few dozen members of the 2026, 2027, and 2028 classes. Topics discussed at Junior Day include NIL earning potential with the Ducks' program.

Aug 31, 2024; Columbus, OH, USA; Ohio State Buckeyes wide receiver recruit Chris Henry Jr. walks out on the field prior to th
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

"My interest in Oregon is definitely up there. I would put them right behind Ohio State," Henry Jr. said to 247 Sports just this week.

Check out what Henry Jr. was wearing on Wednesday, Feb. 5.

While in Eugene for a second time, Henry Jr. commented that he felt "already a part of the team" and formed a close kinship with receiver coach Junior Adams. Due to these relationships, there might still be a chance the Ducks can turn Henry Jr.

"When I was up there, I got to talk to Coach Lanning, Coach Adams, and Coach Stein. Their message to me was that I'm a priority for them and that they're not going to give up," Henry Jr. told 247 Sports.

Chris Henry Jr. darts down the sidelines for a Withrow first down at Marx Stadium against Walnut Hills, Aug. 17, 2023.Chris H
Chris Henry Jr. darts down the sidelines for a Withrow first down at Marx Stadium against Walnut Hills, Aug. 17, 2023. / Geoff Blankenship for The Enquirer / USA TODAY NETWORK

Yet, Henry Jr. has held a strong support of Ohio State on his social media, replying to speculations about decommitment and NIL pushes for his favor with a photo of Buckeye receiver coach Brian Hartline smoking a cigar after helping the Buckeyes win the National Championship against Notre Dame (34-23).

It's also important to note that Henry Jr.'s sister, Seini Hicks, is a freshman forward for the Ohio State Women's Basketball team. Familial ties can be a strong draw for some athletes to a program.

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To emphasize how much of an asset Henry Jr. could be for the Ducks, it's essential to know the young athlete has been compared to wide receiver Jeremiah Smith, also of the Ohio State Buckeyes. Smith, a true freshman, was an immediate player for the Buckeyes, and even put up 187 yards and two touchdowns during the Buckeyes' dominant Rose Bowl win against the Ducks (41-21).

"At close to 6-6 and 195 pounds, Henry is one of the longest receivers in the ’26 class but has surprisingly agility and lateral quickness," said 247 Sports National Recruiting Analyst Greg Biggins. "He’s explosive out of the gate, can stop and start on a dime, change direction and obviously has that huge catch radius. He has the long speed to stretch the field and hit the home run but the size and sure handedness to be a go to guy on key third down situations."

Time will tell if Oregon's pursuance of Henry Jr. will pay off, as the Ducks continue collecting talent in the off season.

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Ally Osborne
ALLY OSBORNE

A born and raised Oregonian, Ally was raised going up and down the steps of Autzen Stadium. Ally graduated from the University of Oregon's School of Journalism and Communications in 2021. She currently works at KOIN 6 and Portland's CW in Portland, Oregon where she hosts the lifestyle program "Everyday Northwest" and reports for the KOIN Sports team. She's also a graphic designer in her free time, with several of her works created for Oregon athletes.

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