Chris Henry Jr., the No. 1 wide receiver in the 2026 recruiting class, said Friday he remains committed to Ohio State and will sign his national letter of intent with the Buckeyes.
Henry had been pledged to the Buckeyes since July 28, 2023, but Oregon and Southern California made strong last-minute pushes, with Texas and LSU also in the mix. The departure of Ohio State offensive coordinator Brian Hartline, hired as the head coach at South Florida, compounded the uncertainty as the early signing period opened on Wednesday.
On Friday, he said on “The Pat McAfee Show” on ESPN that Ohio State is his choice because he knew it was the right fit.
“It was never really about the money. I was getting tons of offers (from) other places … but ultimately for me, it was just a place I feel comfortable being developed and ultimately reaching my goal, which is to be a first-round draft pick,” he said.
His father, the late Chris Henry, was a third-round draft pick by the Cincinnati Bengals out of West Virginia in 2005.
Ohio State currently has the No. 6 class in the nation, before the signing of the younger Henry, according to the 247Sports composite. It also ranks the 6-foot-5, 205-pound Henry as the No. 10 overall player in the nation.
He will enter Ohio State from powerhouse Mater Dei in Santa Ana, Calif.
