2026 Ohio State wide receiver commit Chris Henry Jr debuts as top-ranked wideout
COLUMBUS — Ohio State is on a recruiting tear at the wide receiver position that hasn’t been seen in some time.
What position coach Brian Hartline has done in terms of finding talent, landing it and then developing it into NFL-caliber guys is impressive, and should never be taken for granted.
Hartline seemingly has done it again in the 2026 cycle. On3 released its first On300 for the 2026 cycle and Buckeye commit Chris Henry Jr. is sitting in a great position.
The five-star Santa Ana (Calif) Mater Dei wide receiver is the No. 2 overall prospect and the top-rated wideout in On3’s first 2026 rankings.
Henry is the only commit in the Buckeyes’ 2026 class but he is an important one. The 6-foot-4.5, 185-pound wideout was originally an in-state prospect. He started his high school career at West Clermont in Cincinnati and then transferred to Withrow. Ohio State locked in his commitment before he transferred out to national powerhouse Mater Dei.
When Henry committed to the Buckeyes, there was a hesitation to announce it. He was walking out of the Woody Hayes Athletic Center and was urged by his guardian — Adam ‘Pac-Man’ Jones — to share the news.
“Today just felt like a great day [to commit],” Henry Jr. said. “I was ready. When I talked to coach Ryan Day today, there was no point in waiting anymore.”
Henry had a proficient sophomore season at Cincinnati Withrow, earning First-Team All-State honors. He finished his sophomore season with 1,127 yards and 10 touchdowns on 71 receptions in 14 games. That’s good for an average of 15.9 yards per reception and 80.5 yards per game.
The Buckeyes’ wide receiver recruiting run was capitalized nicely in the 2024 cycle. Five-star Plus+ Hollywood (Fla) Chaminade-Madonna wide receiver Jeremiah Smith signed with Ohio State. Smith ended up as the No. 1 overall prospect for On3. Ohio State also signed four-star New Haven (Ind) wide receiver Mylan Graham who is certainly no slouch.
Ohio State has one wide receiver commit to its 2025 class right now. Four-star Cocoa (Fla) wide receiver Jayvan Boggs is the lone guy in the class.
