Five-star WR Chris Henry Jr. makes final decision on Ohio State

Jeff Hauser

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Five-star WR Chris Henry Jr. makes final decision on Ohio State image

Final decision time arrived Friday for 5-star wide receiver Chris Henry Jr., and Ohio State got the outcome it desperately needed. 

The nation’s No. 1 receiver and longtime Buckeyes commit ended two days of high-stakes drama by reaffirming his pledge to Ohio State live on The Pat McAfee Show, delivering a massive victory for Ryan Day and his staff during a crazy signing week.

Henry’s decision brings relief to the Buckeyes after a late surge from Oregon briefly threatened to flip the Mater Dei standout. Dan Lanning already holds three five-star commitments in the 2026 class, and adding Henry's commitment would have pushed the Ducks past USC in the 247Sports national rankings.

Instead, Ohio State regains momentum and secures another premier target for elite quarterback Julian Sayin.

Henry originally planned to sign on Wednesday, but the surprise news that wide receivers coach Brian Hartline was leaving for the USF head-coaching job caused him to pause. He chose to wait as his camp reopened discussions with Oregon, USC, Texas, LSU and Ohio State. By Friday, confidence within OSU’s building surged.

Oregon pushed late, with growing doubt emerged that the Ducks could close the deal as optimism returned for the Buckeyes.

Henry, who is an Ohio native, starred at Mater Dei after returning from a knee injury, caught 28 passes for 607 yards and six touchdowns this fall.

With Ohio State finalizing his signature, he becomes the program’s third No. 1 receiver signee since 2020. Another statement win in a room, the Buckeyes continue to dominate nationally.

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Editorial Team