The Buckeyes were hoping to capture a duo from Princeton High School when targeting Paris Johnson Jr. and Darrion Henry, and they got them both.
Buckeye Nation couldn't be more thrilled to welcome @darrion_henry to the family.#GoBucks #XXclusive pic.twitter.com/3Ptg0YCD0f
— Ohio State Football (@OhioStateFB) December 18, 2019
The Henry File
- Class: 2020
- Size: 6-foot-4.5, 279 pounds
- Pos: DT
- School: Princeton (Cincinnati, OH)
- Composite Rating: ★★★★
- Composite Rank: 16 (DT)
The second-highest ranked player in the state of Ohio, Henry seemed to be a Buckeye lock for most of his recruitment, and finally made it official over the summer with a ceremony at St. Monica's Rec Center.
An in-state kid, hailing from GMC mainstay Princeton, Henry seemed destined to join the Buckeyes, and he will do just that, playing alongside his friend and current teammate Johnson in the process.
It was relatively easy for the Buckeyes to lock down Henry. Despite tagging along with Johnson for trips to LSU and Tennessee in the spring, Henry seemed destined to be a Buckeye and after committing did not take any visits elsewhere.
Committed #GoBucks pic.twitter.com/K81KJA8oZo
— Darrion Henry-Young (@darrion_henry) June 29, 2019
Rated as the country's No. 16 defensive tackle, it will be interesting to see where Henry fits at Ohio State. Some see him indeed as a defensive tackle, while others feel like he can play defensive end at the next level. Either way, it will be interesting to see what Larry Johnson and company decide to do with their new addition.
“Coach Johnson, coach (Ryan) Day, great guys,” Henry said back in July at his commitment ceremony. “Coach Johnson produces guys. I've got a great opportunity to come here early and play. It's a great plan for me to go to Ohio State right now.”
Henry joins several other Buckeyes in coming up from the Queen City on I-71 North: his current teammate at Princeton Paris Johnson Jr., the Elder High School duo of Jakob James and Joe Royer, LaSalle kicker Jake Siebert, and Winton Woods running back Miyan Williams.
Henry also joins Jacolbe Cowan and Ty Hamilton as the defensive linemen in Ohio State's 2020 class.
Larry Johnson, of course, is one of the elite defensive line coaches in college football. While we obviously do not know whether Johnson will be around for all three-to-five years that Henry will be in Columbus, we know that he will at least start the development of Henry, which will certainly be fun to watch.
Even with the tendency of Ohio State to rotate bodies, it is hard to see Henry heavily contributing in his freshman season. The Buckeyes will return many players such as Tyreke Smith, Javonte Jean-Baptiste, Zach Harrison, Jonathon Cooper, Tommy Togiai, and others, seemingly making it difficult for Henry to crack the rotation. He will be enrolling in January, however, which will certainly increase his chances on some level.
Nonetheless, when it is all over, we will likely have seen plenty of impact plays made by Henry.
