Skull Session: Chris Henry Jr. “Would Start at Every College in America Right Now,” Kyle McCord Turned Down Nebraska Twice and an Ohio State Alum Creates Campus in Minecraft

By Chase Brown on July 15, 2024 at 5:00 am
Chris Henry Jr.
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Welcome to the Skull Session.

Ty Hamilton, Gee Scott Jr. and Emeka Egbuka are Ohio State’s DUDES of the Week.

Have a good Monday.

 “THE KID HAS EVERYTHING.” When Chris Henry Jr. committed to Ohio State on July 28, 2023, the 2026 wide receiver prospect had zero stars. One year later, he has five of them. Oh, and he’s the No. 1 overall recruit in the 2026 class.

“Henry checks off every box you want to see in a next-level receiver,” 247Sports analyst Allen Trieu wrote of Henry last fall. “He’s good enough to warrant consideration as the top overall recruit in the 2026 class, much like Jeremiah Smith was in the class of 2024. At close to 6-foot-6 and (200 pounds), Henry is one of the longest receivers in the 2026 class but has surprising lateral quickness. He’s explosive out of the gate, can stop and start on a dime, change direction and has that huge catch radius. He has the long speed to stretch the field and hit the home run, but the size and sure-handedness to be a go-to receiver on key third-down situations. He’s dominant in the air on jump balls. As he fills out some and he gains strength, his game will take off to another level.”

In February, Henry transferred from Withrow High School in Cincinnati to Mater Dei High School in Santa Ana, California. As Henry transitions to life in The Golden State this summer, Eli Lederman of ESPN interviewed him, Matter Dei wide receivers coach James Griffin and others to learn more about the 16-year-old prospect.

Committed to Ohio State since July 2023, Henry stands among the highest-rated commits in program history, expected to arrive in Columbus in two years as the next wide receiver in the Buckeyes' recent pipeline of elite pass catchers, dripping in all the same hype that followed Garrett Wilson and Marvin Harrison Jr. before him. Even as Henry plans to visit Oregon and LSU this summer, he remains firm in his commitment to arrive at Ohio State in 2026.

Now surrounded by elite talent in Southern California after transferring to powerhouse Mater Dei High School, Henry is ideally placed for the type of development he'll need to carve his legacy when he arrives at Ohio State. As he embarks on a new chapter, Henry looks ahead, spurred not only by a dream and the memory of a father he knows through stories and highlight reel touchdowns but also by the hands of two former teammates who knew his dad best.

"I think everybody in his life wants to see Chris Henry Jr. play on Sundays," Mater Dei wide receivers coach James Griffin said. "The kid has everything — he's just like his dad. He's working his butt off to be elite like that every day."

...

Not long after Henry arrived in California, [former NFL Pro Bowler T.J.] Houshmandzadeh learned that the son of his former teammate was suddenly living 15 minutes away, so he fired off a text to Henry and made the family a simple offer: "If y'all need help, I'm here to help you."

Some days at Golden West, Henry trains with the wide receiver corps from Oregon. On others, he'll catch passes from [former Ohio State and current] Houston Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud. During a session with Houshmandzadeh, the 11-year NFL vet who coaches several pro receivers in the offseasons, Henry is as likely to work alongside Indianapolis Colts' Michael Pittman Jr. and Detroit Lions' Amon-Ra St. Brown — two of the game's highest-paid wide receivers — as he is to run into some of the top passers in the sport such as Jalen Hurts, Josh Allen, Bryce Young and Dak Prescott on Houshmandzadeh's list of regular clients.

Among the pros and top college talents who come to learn from Houshmandzadeh at Golden West, Henry seldom appears out of place.

"He would start at every college in America right now and he still has two years remaining in high school," Houshmandzadeh said. "That's how legit he is."

I love Houshmandzadeh’s last comment. Still, I have to ask: Would Henry start at Ohio State in 2024? 

To be clear, I don’t mean for that question to be a knock on Henry. Instead, I mean for the question to point to the incredible talent in Ohio State’s wide receiver room.

The Buckeyes’ top five receivers based on their 247Sports composite rankings out of high school are Jeremiah Smith, Emeka Egbuka, Brandon Inniss, Mylan Graham and Carnell Tate. While Henry would be the second-highest-rated receiver in the bunch if he arrived on Ohio State’s campus in 2024, Egbuka has five years of experience on him, Inniss and Tate have three and Smith and Graham have two. With a coach like Brian Hartline, those years mean a lot.

So... would Henry start at Ohio State in 2024?

I’m not sure.

I think the answer is “No.” And I think the Buckeyes are the only team in America that could make such a claim.

Oh, the riches of being Wide Receiver U.

 KYLE MCCORD. On Dec. 4, 2023, Kyle McCord ruined my day. At 7 a.m. – well before sunrise during a Columbus winter and well before I start a traditional workday for Eleven Warriors – I received a Slack message from a co-worker that McCord entered the transfer portal.

Given McCord’s status as Ohio State’s QB1, I bounced out of bed, sprinted to the kitchen and poured a massive cup of coffee. I knew I was in for a looooooooong morning, a looooooooong afternoon and a looooooooong evening. When all was said and done, I had worked until 11 p.m.

So cool!

Thanks, Kyle.

With the mini-rant complete, I will now discuss the purpose of this section: After McCord entered the transfer portal, he received offers from Nebraska and Syracuse, among others, and he committed to the Orange on Dec. 17; however, the Cornhuskers continued their pursuit of the former Ohio State quarterback, according to Syracuse athletic director John Wildhack.

From Emily Leiker of Syracuse.com:

Syracuse University athletic director John Wildhack wasn’t afraid to brag a bit to a packed room of Orange fans Tuesday night at Three Heads Brewing in Rochester, New York.
As he answered his final question from emcee Matt Park during the ‘Cuse Coaches Caravan event, Wildhack walked through the workings of each of Syracuse’s NIL groups — Orange United, Athletes Who Care and SU Football NIL — and their impact.

"Kyle McCord’s not our quarterback this year without SU Football NIL," Wildhack said. "He is our quarterback, and he turned down twice the money from Nebraska."

Applause started after the first sentence, but there was an audible vocal reaction after the revelation of the second.

"And I know that for a fact because I have a friend from Nebraska who’s on the coaching staff who called me the day Kyle committed to us," Wildhack continued. "I won’t tell you what he said to me. He busted my chops pretty good, but my response was, 'Kyle’s wearing blue and orange. He’s ours.'"

Man, imagine if McCord became Nebraska’s quarterback this season. Assuming he would have won the quarterback competition over Dylan Raiola – which feels like it would have been a massive if – I would have loved to see him face the 2024 Ohio State defense in the Horseshoe in October.

“For Dec. 4!” I would think after each of the Buckeyes’ sacks, tackles for loss and forced turnovers...

Wait, I don’t mean that.

Or do I?

 WOW, WOW, WOW... WOW. Last week, THE Ohio State University’s official account on X posted a video in which a 2019 graduate created an incredible replica of Ohio State’s main campus in the award-winning video game “Minecraft.”

I have spent countless hours on Minecraft throughout the years, but I could never, ever build something as cool as this. I cannot imagine the time it took, considering the alum’s impressive attention to detail. Cheers to them for that.

While on the topic of creation, an Ohio State marching band member also made headlines in recent weeks for building an Ohio State drummer out of Lego bricks.

As it stands, Jacob English has 7,438 supporters on LEGO IDEAS for his creation. I am sure it would mean a lot to him – and The Best Damn Band in the Land – if you took a second to create an account and pledge your support for his design!

 THIS AND THAT. Another Skull Session, another This and That™.

You know the drill.

Last week, the Phoenix Mercury signed former Ohio State women’s basketball guard Celeste Taylor to a one-week contract. Her first appearance came against the Indiana Fever – the team that drafted her with the No. 15 overall pick in April – and she collected one point, five assists, three rebounds and two steals in 24 minutes. In other words, she made her presence felt.

A trio of former Ohio State men’s basketball players shined on the hardwood this weekend. In the NBA Summer League, Duane Washington Jr. scored 26 points for the New York Knicks, Jamison Battle scored 12 for the Toronto Raptors and EJ Liddell scored 22 for the Atlanta Hawks. Then, in the Central Ohio Kingdom League, Aaron Craft... well, looked like the same old Aaron Craft we all came to know and love for the Buckeyes.

Over the weekend, LeBron James played as Ohio State in a “Gameday Showcase” for EA Sports College Football 25. James’ best moment from the showcase was a Lathan Ransom pick-six as he led the Buckeyes against the Miami Hurricanes.

That’s all, folks!

 SONG OF THE DAY. "HOT TO GO!" - Chappell Roan.

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