The Oregon Ducks have rapidly emerged as the frontrunner to land Rivals’ No. 1 wide receiver Chris Henry Jr., the five-star Mater Dei standout who stunned the recruiting world by pausing his planned signing with Ohio State on Wednesday.
Henry was expected to finalize his commitment to the Buckeyes early in the signing period, but news of longtime receivers coach Brian Hartline leaving to become the head coach at South Florida gave him reason to reconsider.
Since then, momentum has shifted sharply toward Oregon, with multiple Rivals analysts logging predictions for the Ducks to flip the Five-Star Plus+ talent.
According to On3, Henry’s growing relationship with coach Dan Lanning, coupled with a strong NIL package, has positioned Oregon at the top entering Thursday. The Ducks, ranked No. 3 nationally, are pushing to pair Henry with fellow five-star Jalen Lott, whose signing is expected once final contract language is settled.
Ohio State coach Ryan Day reportedly made a late pitch Wednesday night, selling the fact of the Buckeyes’ nine first-round receiver selections and the program’s development structure. Day also noted Oregon has yet to produce a first-round wideout.
Texas made an aggressive NIL offer, but Henry has never visited Austin. USC and West Virginia have also made efforts, but neither are serious.
A final decision could come as soon as Thursday.
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