Five-Star Wide Receiver Chris Henry Jr. Signing with Ohio State After Two-Day Delay

The top-ranked wide receiver in the 2026 class announced Friday on The Pat McAfee Show that he is signing with Ohio State, two days after he delayed his signing due to Brian Hartline’s departure.

While Henry has been committed to Ohio State since July 2023, and announced in April that he was shutting down his recruitment, his signing with the Buckeyes came into doubt on Wednesday – the first day of the early signing period – when South Florida hired Hartline, Ohio State’s offensive coordinator and wide receivers coach, as its new head coach.

Oregon was viewed as the biggest threat to flip Henry, with Texas also in the mix, and many recruiting insiders expected that Henry would ultimately choose the Ducks. But Henry stayed true to his longtime commitment in the end, choosing the school he had long dreamed of playing for.

“Ultimately, I've been committed to the Buckeyes for a long time. And with Coach Hartline leaving, it really impacted my recruitment heavily. And I really just had to take time to step back and really reevaluate everything. But just sitting with my family and taking time to think about it, ultimately, I'll be committing and staying committed to the Ohio State University,” Henry told The Pat McAfee Show. “I just feel like it just is the right fit for me ... Even though Hartline did leave, Ohio State has always been in my heart since I committed, so I'll be staying home at the Ohio State University.”

"I'm staying committed to THE OHIO STATE UNIVERSITY..

It's the right fit for me and they've been in my heart ever since I committed" ~ @ChrisHenryJr #PMSLive https://t.co/JCoIbOtMks pic.twitter.com/n2KmSRye1p

— Pat McAfee (@PatMcAfeeShow) December 5, 2025

Henry said his decision to sign with Ohio State was driven by his comfort with the program over money.

“For me, it was just really just being at a place where I feel comfortable at. It was never really about the money,” Henry said. “I was getting tons of offers at other places ... But ultimately, for me, this was the place that I feel comfortable at being developed and ultimately reaching my goal, which is to be a first-round draft pick.”

"I feel comfortable at Ohio State and it's all about reaching my goals" ~ @ChrisHenryJr #PMSLive https://t.co/VSwYXV9sLr pic.twitter.com/uPxtyu74KG

— Pat McAfee (@PatMcAfeeShow) December 5, 2025

It’s a huge recruiting win for the Buckeyes as Henry becomes the headliner of Ohio State’s 2026 class. The lone five-star in Ohio State’s class of 27 signees, Henry becomes the fourth top-ranked wide receiver since the 2020 class to sign with the Buckeyes, joining Jeremiah Smith, Emeka Egbuka and Julian Fleming with that distinction.

Henry is ranked as the No. 10 overall prospect in the 2026 class.

The son of late NFL wide receiver Chris Henry, Henry Jr. has all the tools to be Ohio State’s next superstar receiver. Possessing elite athleticism and ball skills at 6-foot-5 and 205 pounds, Henry will be a contender to play a major role in Ohio State’s offense right away and potentially even start opposite Smith in 2026, with Carnell Tate expected to enter the 2026 NFL draft.

Henry caught 28 passes for 607 yards and six touchdowns in just eight games in his senior season at California’s Mater Dei High School, where he spent his final two years of high school after starting his high school career in Cincinnati at West Clermont High School and Withrow University High School.