Ohio State is beginning to pull some levers in an effort to retain a prized 2026 commit.
After five-star Ohio State commit Chris Henry Jr. announced on social media that he would postpone signing with the Buckeyes to evaluate his options, OSU wide receiver Jeremiah Smith responded to Henry Jr.'s social media post, urging the wide receiver to join Ohio State.
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisement"WE NEED YOU!!!!" Smith wrote while reposting Henry Jr.'s announcement on X.
Henry Jr.'s decision to delay came hours after South Florida announced Ohio State offensive coordinator and wide receivers coach Brian Hartline would become the Bulls' next head coach. Hartline is a highly regarded developer of wide receivers and played the position for the Buckeyes and in the NFL.
Hartline is remaining with the Buckeyes for the remainder of the Ohio State 2026 CFP run, but will depart for South Florida to head the program afterward. He also spearheaded Ohio State's efforts to recruit Henry Jr., according to 247Sports.
Wide receiver Chris Henry Jr. of Mater Dei High School has yet to decide where he will play at the college level.Henry Jr. is the No. 1 receiver and No. 10 recruit overall in the 2026 class; he verbally committed to the Buckeyes in 2023. The 6-foot-5, 205-pound wide receiver from Mater Dei High School has yet to sign any paperwork after delaying his signing "due to coaching changes" per his X announcement.
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementThis article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Jeremiah Smith urges WR commit Chris Henry Jr. to join Ohio State
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