Chris Henry Jr. and Dorian Brew Shine, Two Cornerbacks Offered at Ohio State's First Recruiting Camp of June

By Garrick Hodge on June 8, 2023 at 6:53 pm
Chris Henry Jr.
Chris Henry Jr.
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There was no shortage of talent on the field Thursday during Ohio State’s first recruiting camp of the summer.

A heap of uncommitted prospects in the 2025 and 2026 classes with Ohio State offers competed at the Woody Hayes Athletic Center, including four-star 2025 cornerback Dorian Brew, four-star 2025 defensive end Javion Hilson, three-star 2025 tight end Landon Pace and 2026 wide receiver Chris Henry Jr.

Henry Jr., the son of late Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Chris Henry, was one of the day's standouts, winning several one-on-one matchups and making every route run seem flawless throughout his workout. This was Henry Jr.’s second OSU camp, as he impressed Brian Hartline in last year’s camp circuit enough to earn a Buckeyes offer before he ever played a down of high school football.

“He’s told me that I’ve gotten more smooth with the routes and bigger, of course,” the 6-foot-5, 185-pound Henry said of how Hartline assessed him Thursday in comparison to a year ago. “I always feel like I’m getting better every time I put the work in.” 

Henry Jr. said he’d try to return to another OSU camp sometime this summer. Arguably the highlight of the day was watching Henry Jr. compete against Brew, Ohio’s No. 1 prospect in the 2025 class, in one-on-ones. The pair lined up against each other three separate times, with Henry catching passes on two reps and Brew breaking up a pass on another. Each looked the part of being the premier prospects in Ohio in their respective classes throughout the day. 

Brew, considered the 32nd overall prospect and third-ranked cornerback in the 2025 class per 247Sports’ composite rankings, was smooth in individual drills and had a private workout with OSU secondary coach Tim Walton along with four-star Virginia 2025 cornerback Terrance “Deuce” Edwards, who also looked sharp throughout the day.

“I felt great,” Brew said of his performance Thursday. “I was getting coached by coach Walton and developing that relationship with him, that’s important for me. We worked on our press work, getting on his hip and playing through the ball along with our breaks.” 

Brew, who has offers from various schools to play both wide receiver and cornerback, says he feels he could make the most impact at the next level on defense.

“(OSU is) recruiting me as an athlete, but my potential is highest at defensive back,” the 6-foot-2, 185-pound cornerback said. “There’s not a lot of DBs with my size and speed.” 

Hilson, a top-100 prospect in the 2025 class, also looked impressive in his workout Thursday by winning a good chunk of his one-on-ones. He had a chance to briefly reconnect with his former high school teammate at Cocoa (Cocoa, Florida), OSU freshman safety Cedrick Hawkins, and the 6-foot-4, 225-pound defensive end said he relished the opportunity to work out with defensive line coach Larry Johnson.

“I feel like I did a good job, I felt like I was the fastest one out there,” Hilson said of his performance. “My hips and hands were good, I felt like I was dominant and no one could stop me. I’m quick, shifty and will do everything I can as a leader to help my team.” 

Pace, the son of OSU legend Orlando Pace, was appreciative of working out with first-year OSU tight ends coach Keenan Bailey and has started to develop a strong relationship with him.

“I got a feel for the drills and stuff he had for me. He’s a young, fun guy,” Pace said of Bailey. “He’s good to interact with and I like him so far.” 

Two cornerbacks earned offers from Ohio State on Thursday with standout performances: four-star 2025 Indiana prospect Mark Zackery and 2026 Ohio product Elbert Hill. 

Zackery attends Ben Davis High School in Indianapolis, the same school that produced former Ohio State offensive tackle Dawand Jones. The 6-foot, 165-pound corner had a successful showing in his one-on-one reps, even winning one against Henry near the conclusion of the camp. 

"It felt great getting an offer just because as long as I can remember, I've always rooted for Ohio State. I still have the banner hanging in my room," Zackery said. "I've been waiting for this day for a long time. It's like a weight off my shoulders and now I can keep putting the work in. Just knowing the school I grew up rooting for (since I was 5) offered me feels pretty good." 

Zackery is ranked as the 259th overall prospect and the 28th cornerback in 2025 and has picked up 25 Division I offers. Other schools that have offered include Cincinnati, Indiana, Iowa, Louisville, Michigan, Northwestern, Notre Dame, Penn State, Purdue, Tennessee, Texas A&M, USC, West Virginia and Wisconsin. Although the two never played in high school together, Zackery said he maintains a close relationship with Jones. 

"Dawand and I are super close. That's like my older brother," Zackery said. "During COVID and stuff like that he was always stopping by. We played basketball with each other and worked out with each other. He's talked about wanting me to come to Ohio State and told me that my time is coming and to trust the process." 

Hill, an Archbishop Hoban product, said earning an Ohio State offer was “wonderful and just beautiful” after Ryan Day presented the offer to the 2026 product.

“I grew up in Ohio and I love (OSU),” Hill said. “(Coach Day) said he loved my skillset, that I’m a great player and that he loves my work ethic. He told me to keep working on my game and not to let up.” 

Hill has eight Division I offers, also including Michigan, Miami, Pittsburgh and West Virginia. 

“I kept my composure, went through drills very well and did everything the coaches told me to do,” Hill said of his performance Thursday. 

Offensive linemen commits Marc Nave and Ian Moore, who are both making their official visits to Ohio State this weekend, arrived on campus a day early to get some work in with Ohio State offensive line coach Justin Frye. 

“I was just working with coaches and just really getting to know them,” Nave said of camping at OSU. “I’m getting to know (Ian) more and knowing how he plays. We’re building that chemistry and bond together.”

Also of note, Henry Jr.'s Withrow High School teammate Quintin Simmons, a three-star 2025 wideout, looked impressive in one-on-ones and with his route running throughout the day. With 16 offers to his name including Michigan, Michigan State and Penn State, he could be a candidate to earn an offer from Brian Hartline and the Buckeyes down the line.

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