The Ohio State football team has been trying to finalize the recruiting class for 2026. Most of the recruiting class signed on Wednesday during the early signing period, with a big notable exception. Chris Henry Jr. has decided to wait and decide to make his decision at a later time.
Henry Jr. is the best recruit in Ohio State's class. He had announced his intention to sign on Wednesday with the Buckeyes, but he hasn't made a firm decision. Several teams have offered him a large sum of NIL money to flip his commitment, including some rival Big Ten teams.
Unfortunately for the Buckeyes, the timing of this announcement was very poor. Now, some recruiting analysts have made a prediction that he will flip his commitment to the Ducks, meaning that Ohio State will not be landing a five-star receiver in this class, if this is true.
Ohio State football team projected to lose elite recruit
According to Rivals, Henry Jr. is now projected to sign with Oregon over Ohio State. It seems that Phil Knight and his NIL Collective have been able to penetrate whatever wall the Buckeyes had built. Now, it seems that Henry Jr. might be on his way to Eugene next Fall.
If this does happen, this would certainly put a damper on Ohio State's recruiting class this year. It's still projected to be the worst recruiting class under Ryan Day since his first full class. That is surprising, considering Ohio State won the national championship last season and is the favorite to win it again.
The Buckeyes are hoping that they can still keep him, considering he has been committed since 2023. It's surprising that other programs have been able to get this close to signing him. That shows how much Hartline's relationship meant to Henry Jr.
As long as the Buckeyes have Jeremiah Smith next season, the receiving corps will be fine. If Henry Jr. goes elsewhere, other receivers on the roster already will have to step up in the next few years to make up for that.