Chris Henry, Jr. Enjoying Recruiting, Still 'Locked In' With Ohio State

Monday was the final one-day camp of the summer on the Ohio State campus, but it was the first appearance for 2026 wide receiver commit Chris Henry, Jr. Henry — who committed to the Buckeyes last July — had a strong showing on the afternoon, showcasing much of his impressive skill set.

Listed at 6-foot-5 and 205 pounds, Henry always stands out physically, but the point of camping was to continue working on his game with Ohio State receivers coach Brian Hartline.

“I enjoy every time being out here, learning from him, picking up new things,” Henry said after the camp. “It’s great. I always enjoy Coach Hart. I feel like every time I come here I feel more fluid, more smooth. I definitely feel the progression.”

Chris Henry Jr. is the son of the late former Cincinnati Bengals receiver, so he’s never really been under the radar. But since his offer from Ohio State at a June camp two years ago, the attention has certainly picked up. Then with his commitment last summer, the positive buzz has continued.

“It’s actually really crazy for me,” he said of the past two years. “I feel like since getting an offer from here, my life has sky rocketed. It’s been great. I just really appreciate this school and the coaches here.”

Henry attended Cincinnati Withrow High School last year but has since transferred to Mater Dei in Santa Ana, California. The transition has been a smooth one, thought the visits to Ohio State do take a bit longer now.

As the lone commitment in the 2026 class for the Buckeyes, he is also in a position of leadership among the class.

What is his sales pitch like?

“I mean, it’s not really hard. For receivers, this is where you want to be,” he said. “This is the standard. It’s a great program and it’s really easy to get out to guys and talk about Ohio State.”

Despite the recruiting pitches to land future teammates in Columbus, Henry is still taking visits to other schools. Up next for him is Oregon or LSU, “or something like that,” he said.

Chris Henry Jr — Chris Henry, Jr. snags another catch during one-on-ones in camp.

Why is he still visiting other schools?

“Just really getting to enjoy the process. I’m only going to do this once,” he said.

“I communicate with Ohio State. I just let them know that I’m always locked in. I’m still enjoying the process of just being a recruit. This only happens one time so I’m still going to enjoy it. The other schools, I tell them that, ‘Yeah, it’s gonna be really hard to try to get me to flip because it’s Ohio State and this is where I want to be.'”

Chris Henry, Jr. is currently the No. 1 player in the 2026 class per the composite rankings of multiple recruiting services. Already physically developed and a load to handle as it is, his is a formula that often leads to a discussion about reclassifying and graduating a year early.

Could Henry graduate early and become part of the 2025 recruiting class and start college a year earlier than planned?

“There have been some thoughts there,” he said, adding that he has discussed it a little bit.

Ultimately, however, he doesn’t expect that to be his course of action.

“Honestly, my thoughts with that is I’m only going to be in high school once so I might as well get the most out of it,” he said. “I don’t plan on reclassifying any time soon.”