Better Know A Buckeye is our look at every member of Ohio State’s 2026 recruiting class and how they became Buckeyes as they prepare to begin their OSU careers this fall.
Ohio State's 2026 class finished fourth-best in the country and had the sixth-best average per commit, according to 247Sports' composite rankings.
One of three composite five-stars in the class and the second-best wide receiver in the cycle, Chris Henry Jr. (No. 14 overall) is a tremendously gifted player with the tools and skill set to be the next first-round NFL draft pick to emerge from Ohio State’s wide receiver room.
Chris Henry Jr.
- Size: 6-5/201
- Position: WR
- School: Mater Dei (Santa Ana, CA)
- 247 Sports Composite: ★★★★★
- Composite Rank: #14 (#2 WR)
Background
Ohio State offered Henry in 2022 following a team camp. You could say that the Buckeyes' evaluation of the then-eighth-grader proved correct, as the 14-year-old proved time and time again throughout his four high school seasons that he is one of the best wide receivers in his class.
While he became the second member of the 2026 class to receive an Ohio State offer, Henry was the first player in his class to commit to the Buckeyes, doing so on July 28, 2023. With his commitment, he became tied for the tallest wide receiver to commit to OSU since T.Y. Williams (6-7) in 2010.
For the next two-plus years, Brian Hartline and Co. kept Henry in the fold, the type of commitment longevity that is tough to maintain in today's college football landscape. Even after Henry transferred from Withrow (Cincinnati) to Mater Dei (California) and plenty of schools tried to flip his pledge, the son of late former Cincinnati Bengals receiver Chris Henry remained firm with his OSU commitment, shutting down his recruitment in April 2025.
Then came Hartline's departure to take over as USF's head coach the morning of National Signing Day. It caught everyone by surprise, including Henry, who took a few days to mull over his options. But in the end, the star still decided to sign with Ohio State despite Hartline going elsewhere, showcasing his trust in Ryan Day and the program as a whole.
“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 after reaffirming his commitment. “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.
“For me, it was just really just being at a place where I feel comfortable at. It was never really about the money,” Henry added. “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.”
As a two-way player at West Clermont his freshman season, Henry caught 29 passes for 292 yards and five touchdowns and also had 16 tackles, three interceptions and two fumble recoveries while being named a MaxPreps Freshman All-American.
He then transferred to Withrow, where Henry put up a school record 1,127 receiving yards and 10 touchdowns while nabbing 71 receptions.
For his final two high school seasons, the wide receiver transferred to Mater Dei. In a junior season that was marred by a knee injury, Henry totaled just three catches for 20 yards and two touchdowns. Then, as a senior, he notched 28 catches for 607 yards and six touchdowns in eight games to go along with four receptions for 20 yards in the Navy All-American Bowl and three catches for 24 yards and a touchdown in the Polynesian Bowl.
How in the world did Chris Henry Jr. make this catch?!
— Hayes Fawcett (@Hayesfawcett3) August 23, 2025
Ohio State has another elite WR on the wayhttps://t.co/aHBsWpjqrK pic.twitter.com/X5MqFu8C5F
Mama, there goes that man! @ChrisHenryJr with the 37-yard TD grab between two defenders https://t.co/pgUXKNdfWp pic.twitter.com/ZoNrTfyqqI
— Andy Villamarzo (@Andy_Villamarzo) September 20, 2025
5 Ohio State WR commit Chris Henry Jr. with a 57 yard TD to cut the St. John Bosco lead to 24-10 with 1:30 left in the first half. @ChrisHenryJr
— MaxPreps (@MaxPreps) November 1, 2025
Watch Live Here https://t.co/MMKqTABiU0 pic.twitter.com/pyMQFw9MZk
Scouting Report
At 6-5 and 201 pounds, Henry certainly doesn't look like a college freshman wideout. His size, paired with his speed, the ability to catch 50-50 balls, reach and body control to adjust to off-target throws, makes him look more like a seasoned veteran.
Whether it's beating his opponent downfield for a deep ball or catching a short pass and using his speed and elusiveness to run downfield with the ball already in his hands, Henry can make plays wherever he is on the field.
As he develops his game at the college level and perfects his craft after missing part of two of his final three high school seasons due to injury, he will become an even bigger (and better) threat on the outside for Ohio State, especially learning from one of the best groups of wide receivers year in and year out.
Henry looks the part, and Ohio State fans will find that out quickly in his first season as a Buckeye.
Depth Chart Outlook
With returning starters Jeremiah Smith (X) and Brandon Inniss (slot) back at Ohio State, Henry will compete with talent such as fellow freshman Jerquaden Guilford and incoming transfers Devin McCuin and Kyle Parker for the third starting spot at wideout (Z).
While McCuin and Parker have plenty of experience, which could give them the early edge in that competition, it's clear that the Buckeyes believe in Henry’s talent from day one. Ohio State had to compensate Henry well on the NIL front to fend off late charges from Oregon and Texas, and it wouldn‘t have done that if it didn‘t believe Henry could be an immediate contributor.
With that, whether he starts in 2026 or not, Henry will see playing time for OSU as a freshman. When Smith, Inniss and McCuin depart after the upcoming season, Henry will be a starter and likely the star of Ohio State’s receiving corps in 2027.
Player Comparison: Marvin Harrison Jr.
The son of a former NFL player with the speed and skill set to beat you deep and elusiveness to turn a short reception into a long touchdown, you say?
Harrison totaled 155 catches for 2,613 receiving yards and 31 touchdowns in three seasons at Ohio State, including two seasons with 1,200-plus receiving yards and 14 touchdowns as a sophomore and junior.
While I believe Henry could make a bigger impact early on as a freshman compared to Harrison (11 receptions for 139 yards and three touchdowns as a freshman), his career trajectory in Columbus could look similar to the former Ohio State great, who was a two-time unanimous All-American for the Buckeyes before becoming the No. 4 overall pick in the 2024 NFL draft.
