Chris Henry Jr., the No. 1 wide receiver in the 2026 class, recommitted to Ohio State on the opening day of the early signing period Wednesday but is not ready to sign the official paperwork yet.
Henry had been pledged to the Buckeyes since July 28, 2023, but recent chatter hinted he could flip to Oregon or Southern California. The departure of offensive coordinator Brian Hartline — he’s heading to South Florida as head coach — also increased the anxiety of Ohio State fans on Wednesday.
The news of Hartline’s departure likely led to indecision for Henry, said Tom Loy, recruiting analyst for 247Sports, who chatted with him by telephone.
He said Henry needed to “take a step back,” talk to Ohio State head coach Ryan Day and “see what the future looks like and go from there.”
The 247Sports composite also ranks the 6-foot-5, 205-pound Henry as the No. 10 overall player in the nation.
The Buckeyes flipped four-star safety Kaden Gebhardt of Lewis Center H.S. in Olentangy, Ohio, after he decommitted from Clemson.
Four-star wide receiver Kayden Dixon-Wyatt, however, decommitted from the Buckeyes and flipped to USC in the wake of Hartline’s departure. He is a current teammate of Henry at powerhouse Mater Dei in Santa Ana, Calif.
–Wide receiver Corey Barber decommitted from Ole Miss and followed head coach Lane Kiffin to LSU. The 247Sports composite lists him as the No. 25 receiver in the class.
The 6-foot, 180-pound receiver is from Clay-Chalkville H.S. in Pinson, Ala.
“The reason I chose LSU, firstly, is because I’m staying loyal to the guys who were loyal to me,” Barber told 247Sports. “Those are the guys who recruited me at Ole Miss. Also, the history that they have had with receivers is like no other. I want to be a part of that.”
–Four-star linebacker Terry Wiggins said he will play for head coach James Franklin at Virginia Tech. He decommitted from Franklin’s former school, Penn State, on Wednesday morning.
–Tennessee flipped a pair of four-star prospects: edge rusher Carter Gooden and quarterback-turned-projected wide receiver Legend Bey.
Gooden, a 6-4, 260-pounder, is ranked as the No. 17 edge in the nation. From Tabor Academy in Marion, Mass., he had been committed to UCLA.
Bey, from North Forney (Texas) High School, originally had been committed to Tennessee, but reconsidered last month and jumped to Ohio State. Now, the 5-10, 175-pound athlete changed his mind again.
–Field Level Media
