Chris Henry Jr. uses 6-foot-6 frame on first TD catch with Mater Dei (California)

No. 1 junior recruit in nation at any position transferred from Withrow High School (Ohio) in the offseason
Chris Henry Jr., the No. 1-ranked junior football recruit in the country, debuted for Mater Dei (California) on Thursday, Aug. 22.
Chris Henry Jr., the No. 1-ranked junior football recruit in the country, debuted for Mater Dei (California) on Thursday, Aug. 22. / Lori Schmidt / Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK

Chris Henry Jr. stands 6-foot-6, and he used that height to his advantage on his first touchdown playing for his new high school football team in California, Mater Dei.

Henry transferred from Withrow High School in Ohio to Mater Dei in February and immediately became one of California's five-star prospects for the 2026 class.

He's heralded as the No. 1 junior wide receiver in the country, the No. 1 recruit overall regardless of position and is the son of former NFL wideout Chris Henry.

In Henry's Mater Dei debut Thursday, Aug. 22, he easily rose above a Corona Centennial defender to grab a 4-yard touchdown early in the second quarter:

Many more of those are probable this season for Henry, who has been committed to Ohio State for more than a year.

Mater Dei leads Corona Centennial 22-17 at halftime.

Live updates: Follow along here for live updates from Mater Dei-Corona Centennial

How to watch: Watch Mater Dei vs. Centennial live on the NFHS Network

Mater Dei is No. 1 and Centennial is No. 2 in the California SBLive Top 25 preseason rankings. The Monarchs are also No. 1 in the national SBLive/SI Top 25, while the Huskies are No. 8.

-- Mike Swanson | swanson@scorebooklive.com | @sblivesports


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Mike Swanson, SBLive Sports

MIKE SWANSON, SBLIVE SPORTS

Mike Swanson is the Trending News Editor for SBLive Sports. He's been in journalism since 2003, having worked as a reporter, city editor, copy editor and high school sports editor in California, Connecticut and Oregon.