SANTA ANA, Calif. — Former Withrow High School star Chris Henry Jr. – the nation’s No. 1-ranked wide receiver in the 2026 class – is still unsigned as of 5 p.m. Wednesday.
Henry, the son of the late Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Chris Henry, has been verbally committed to Ohio State since July 2023. There were online reports earlier Wednesday that the five-star Mater Dei High School receiver signed with the Buckeyes.
However, later reports clarified he had not signed. CBS Sports reported Henry was considering Ohio State, University of Southern California and University of Oregon.
247 Sports and CBS Sports National College Football Recruiting Analyst Tom Loy wrote on social media that the choice is reportedly between Ohio State and Oregon.
“I have not signed yet,” Henry posted on social media Wednesday afternoon. “Still trying to weigh my options due to coaching changes. I just want to make the right decision for my future.”
Henry’s verbal commitment to the Buckeyes had been strongly linked to Ohio State offensive coordinator Brian Hartline, who was named the University of South Florida head coach Wednesday.
Online news outlets continued to report on Henry’s status early Wednesday night without a conclusive outcome.
The NCAA's football early signing period runs through Friday.
Henry's college football recruiting received national media attention on Wednesday. The Pat McAfee Show discussed the topic.
Former star Bengals wide receiver Chad 'Ochocinco' Johnson showed his support for Henry on social media.
"Wherever you go tell em we are a package deal so I can be a WR coach," Johnson said in a reply to Henry's post. "I f — love you man."
Henry, an Ohio Division II first-team all-state selection in 2023 for Withrow, helped to lead the Tigers (12-2 record) to the regional final that season.
He set a Withrow season mark for most receiving yards (1,127 yards) during the 2023 season. He had 71 receptions and 10 touchdowns, according to the Cincinnati Metro Athletic Conference. He also played on defense and earned nine tackles and an interception.
Henry played at West Clermont his freshman season before he transferred to Withrow in November 2022.
He returned to Cincinnati for a visit in late August when he donated more than 50 pairs of new Adidas cleats to the Withrow football team. It was part of Henry’s name, image and likeness (NIL) agreement with Adidas.
“To all my Withrow football coaches and faculty, I appreciate the development on and off the field," Henry said in a social media post in February 2024. "To my teammates, we locked in for life, we won championships and set school records this year. But, most importantly, we built a bond that will last forever."
