2026 Ohio State 5-star WR Chris Henry looks back at spring visits and previews summer trips

Santa Ana (Calif.) Mater Dei five-star wide receiver Chris Henry Jr. returned to Ohio State on April 13 for the Buckeyes’ spring game. It marked his first time in Columbus since the fall. 

Henry Jr. left Ohio State feeling good about the Buckeyes. That is because he is “locked in with them and they are locked in with me.”

“There is most definitely a home feeling there,” Henry Jr. told On3. “Every time I go there, it feels like family. It feels like home.” 

While visiting Ohio State, Henry Jr. caught up with co-offensive coordinator/wide receivers coach Brian Hartline. The 6-foot-4.5, 185-pound wideout also enjoyed talking with wide receiver Jeremiah Smith – the top player in the 2024 On3 Industry Ranking – who he watched in the spring game. He called Smith a “dude” and a “very good player.” 

“The spring game was crazy,” said Henry Jr., the No. 1 overall prospect in the 2026 On3 Industry Ranking. “There were 80,000 people at a spring game, which was amazing. It was a good vibe. It is always a good vibe there.” 

Henry Jr. also took multiple trips to West Coast schools this spring

Ohio State was not the only school that Henry Jr. saw this spring. The five-star also made trips to Oregon, UCLA and USC. 

The highlight of Henry Jr.’s time at Oregon was meeting the coaching staff. Another thing he enjoyed was seeing the players’ routines and how they interacted with the coaches. 

“Oregon was nice,” Henry Jr. “They caught my attention a little bit. I enjoyed my time up there. It really wasn’t what I expected up there in a good way. I liked being around the coaches and seeing how the players interacted with the coaches.” 

USC has had Henry on campus multiple times since he made the move from Ohio to California.

“The offense under Lincoln Riley is what USC has. They always have quarterbacks and they run a good offense under Coach Riley.”

Henry Jr. is hoping to visit multiple SEC programs this summer

Henry Jr.’s plan going forward is to take unofficial visits before official visits next year. While it will be incredibly difficult for a school to flip him from Ohio State, he is still going through the process and considering some of the top programs in college football. 

Three of them are Alabama, LSU and Texas, schools that Henry Jr. hopes to visit this summer. Coaches from these programs have already come to see him at his high school. 

Henry Jr. feels that since his move to California, the Crimson Tide, Longhorns and Tigers have been recruiting him “hard.” He is looking forward to learning more about Alabama, LSU and Texas in the coming weeks.

“I know what those programs do with receivers,” Henry Jr. said. “They’re all great programs and I’m trying to see what else is out there.” 

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