The Drought is Over
Caleb Downs scores Ohio State’s first punt return touchdown since 2014.
Although he is planning to visit two other schools this summer, Chris Henry Jr. says Ohio State has no reason to worry about the strength of his commitment.
The No. 1 overall prospect in the composite rankings for the 2026 recruiting class, Henry has been committed to Ohio State since last July, when he made an impromptu commitment to the Buckeyes after attending OSU’s SummerFest recruiting event. While attending the OT7 Championship earlier this month, however, Henry told reporters he planned to visit LSU and Oregon this summer.
Henry says he’s simply trying to enjoy the recruiting process while he can and that it would take a lot for another school to convince him to go anywhere but Ohio State.
“I'm always locked in,” Henry said of his Ohio State commitment. “I'm just still enjoying the process of just being a recruit, because this is only happening one time. So, you know, I'm still going to just enjoy it. The other schools, I tell them, like, 'Yeah, it's going to be really hard to try and get me to flip, because it's Ohio State.' This is where I want to be.”
A lot has changed since Henry committed to Ohio State 11 months ago.
Henry was an in-state prospect attending Withrow High School in Cincinnati at the time of his commitment, but he’s now a student at Southern California powerhouse Mater Dei, a school Ohio State has struggled to land top prospects from in the past. And while recruits in his class weren’t yet ranked by any major recruiting media outlets at the time of his commitment, Henry is now the top-ranked prospect in the class.
What hasn’t changed, though, is Henry’s excitement about playing for the Buckeyes. And he believes his ride to the top spot in the 2026 player rankings all started with earning his offer from Ohio State two years ago after camping at OSU as an incoming high school freshman.
“It's actually really crazy for me,” Henry said. “I just feel like ever since just even getting the offer from here, my life has just only skyrocketed and it's been great. So I just really appreciate this school and the coaches here.”
Henry was back at Ohio State on Monday to participate in an OSU high school football camp for the third year in a row. He says he can see the improvement in his game every time he has the opportunity to work with OSU wide receivers coach Brian Hartline.
“I enjoy it every time. Just being out here, learning from him, picking up new things, it's just been great. I always enjoy coming out here,” Henry said after Monday’s camp. “I feel more fluid and more smoother every time I come out here.”
It’s easy to see why other schools are continuing to recruit Henry. At 6-foot-5 and 205 pounds, he possesses unusual speed and quickness for his size along with excellent ball skills and impressive route-running ability. While it’s dangerous to compare anyone to Marvin Harrison Jr., it’s easy to see a resemblance to the former Ohio State superstar with Henry's physical attributes and how he plays the ball.
With his current standing as the No. 1 overall prospect in his class, Henry can also be compared to current Ohio State freshman and 2024 No. 1 overall prospect Jeremiah Smith. It might even feel like déjà vu for Ohio State fans to see Henry take visits to other schools after his commitment as Smith also did. But there’s good reason to believe Henry’s recruitment will ultimately end the same way as Smith’s with Henry signing with the Buckeyes.
“For receivers, this is where you want to be,” Henry said. “This is the standard, just being at Ohio State. It's a great program.”
“The other schools, I tell them, like, ‘Yeah, it's going to be really hard to try and get me to flip, because it's Ohio State.’ This is where I want to be.”– Chris Henry Jr.
Asked Monday about the possibility of reclassifying into the 2025 class and becoming a Buckeye in just one year, Henry acknowledged that “there has been some thoughts there.” As of now, however, Henry plans to play two more years of high school football before becoming a Buckeye in 2026.
“Honestly, my thoughts with that is just like, I'm only going to be in high school once, so I might as well get the most out of it,” Henry said. “So I don't plan on reclassing up any time soon.”
Henry is the only player in the 2026 class who has committed to Ohio State so far.
