Chris Henry Jr., Son of Late Bengals WR, Commits to Ohio State

The son of the former NFL receiver became the Buckeyes’ first commit of the 2026 recruiting class.

Chris Henry Jr., the son of the late Bengals wide receiver Chris Henry Sr., committed to Ohio State at the Buckeyes’ SummerFest event on Friday.

“I’m committing to Ohio State, most definitely,” Henry Jr. said, per Matt Parker of On3Sports.

Henry is the Buckeyes’ first commit in the 2026 recruiting class. Currently, Henry is a wide receiver at Withrow University High School in Cincinnati. 

Prior to his verbal commitment to Ohio State, he received an offer letter from the Buckeyes in June 2022. 

Chris Henry Sr. attended West Virginia before he played five seasons for the Bengals from 2005 to ’09. However, the elder Henry’s NFL career was crippled by several arrests and suspensions. On Dec. 16, ’09, he died after falling off the back of a pickup truck that was driven by his fiancée during a domestic dispute.

When Henry’s father died, Adam “Pacman” Jones—a former college teammate with Henry Sr.—took in Henry Jr and his siblings.

COMMITTED. #AGTG #GoBucks #BUCKEYENATION pic.twitter.com/qvR4w01MJ3

— Chris Henry Jr (@ChrisHenryJr) July 29, 2023

The 6’4”, 185-pound Henry Jr. told ESPN that he “already knew” he wanted to play at Ohio State and that he felt like he was ready to make his decision.

“I was just tired of waiting,” Henry Jr. said, per ESPN. “So when I went back there, it just already felt like home and I already felt like this is where I wanted to be.”

Henry also considered reigning national champion Georgia, Clemson and USC.