Jeremiah Smith sends serious message to Chris Henry Jr. as he weighs sticking with his Ohio State commitment
The Buckeyes are trying to hang onto their top recruit and Jeremiah Smith has joined the cause.
The Ohio State Buckeyes had a very eventful Wednesday as signing day arrived, officially inking most of their commitments. However, they did suffer a couple of decommitments, and the departure of offensive coordinator Brian Hartline didn’t help the cause.
Because of the college football calendar, Ohio State is juggling an offensive coordinator departure/hiring process, recruiting, and preparing to face the No. 2 team in the country — all in the same week. The Buckeyes’ top commitment is five-star wide receiver Chris Henry Jr., who chose not to sign on Wednesday as he weighs his options following Hartline’s exit.
Jeremiah Smith keeps it real with Chris Henry Jr.
With Henry holding off on signing and Oregon reportedly making a strong push to flip him, Ohio State is fighting hard to keep him in the class. That effort includes help from current players, including star wideout Jeremiah Smith, who delivered a simple but honest message to Henry:
The opportunity for early playing time and a major role is certainly there for Henry if he earns it. Ohio State is likely to lose Carnell Tate to the NFL next April, and Brandon Inniss will be a senior. Mylan Graham could emerge as the third option, but he hasn’t taken the step many expected in his sophomore season. Quincy Porter is another player who should factor into the Buckeyes’ outside receiver rotation next year.
If the Buckeyes miss on Henry, there’s a chance they redirect those NIL resources toward pursuing a top receiver in the transfer portal. Ohio State has already lost Kayden Dixon-Wyatt and Legend Bey from its 2026 wide receiver class, and Henry signing elsewhere would only extend the losses.
Smith publicly telling Henry that the Buckeyes need him is no coincidence. If Ohio State can keep the No. 10 overall player in the class from heading elsewhere, it would be a significant win in the wake of Hartline’s departure. A decision from Henry should be coming soon.
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