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What does Ohio State 5-star WR commit Chris Henry Jr. want in a 2026 quarterback?
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- What does Ohio State 5-star WR commit Chris Henry Jr. want in a 2026 quarterback?
For a 2026 quarterback, Ohio State has a selling point not many programs have.
It's not only the track record of quarterbacks like Justin Fields and C.J. Stroud . It's not only that head coach Ryan Day and offensive coordinator Chip Kelly are considered gurus.
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It's how Ohio State began its 2026 recruiting class, securing a commitment from five-star wide receiver Chris Henry Jr., the No. 1 player and the No. 1 wide receiver in the country, who is already ranked as the fourth-best recruit in Ohio State history behind quarterback Quinn Ewers , wide receiver Jeremiah Smith and quarterback Terrelle Pryor .
And Henry knows what he wants in a quarterback.
"We want a guy that's going to go out there and work, who's going to help us win and is going to be a great leader," Henry said. "That's what I'm looking for out of a quarterback."
Ohio State's hunt for a quarterback seemingly took a bit of a hit Monday.
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Five-star prospect Dia Bell, who participated in an OSU recruiting camp last week and threw with Ohio State 2025 five-star commitment Tavien St. Clair , announced he plans to play for Texas .
At Monday's recruiting camp, quarterbacks such as Florida four-star Brady Hart and California four-star Jaden O'Neal – two of the top seven quarterbacks in the 2026 class – threw with Henry and in front of Day and Kelly. Hart and O'Neal received offers after their camp performances on Monday.
After Hart threw at Ohio State to earn an offer Monday, he committed to Michigan Tuesday.
Of the quarterbacks who have reported offers from Ohio State, seven have not joined a recruiting class: O'Neal, North Carolina four-star Faizon Brandon, California four-star Brady Smigiel, Illinois four-star Jonas Williams, California four-star Troy Huhn , Georgia four-star Brodie McWhorter and California quarterback Brady Palmer, who earned an offer after throwing alongside Bell at Ohio State last week.
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Since 2020, Kyle McCord and Jack Miller III are the only two Ohio State quarterbacks to commit to the program multiple years before enrolling. Assuming St. Clair follows through on his commitment, he would make the third. Ewers committed to the Buckeyes as a junior but reclassified to the 2020 class.
Henry doesn't know which quarterback he will catch passes from at Ohio State. But that does not change his recruiting pitch.
"It's not really hard," Henry said. "If you're a receiver, this is where you want to be. This is the standard here, being at Ohio State."
Chris Henry Jr. works with Brian Hartline at Ohio State recruiting camp
On Monday, Henry said he had nothing to prove while camping with Ohio State. After working with wide receivers coach Brian Hartline and assistant Devin Jordan , Henry said he was trying to soak in as much information as he could.
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"I enjoy it every time," Henry said. "Just being out here, learning from him, picking up new things. You know, it's just been great. I always enjoy it."
Henry said he's excited about continuing to build his "good relationship" with Kelly with whom he sensed an instant bond.
"I feel like he can bring a lot to the table and win us a lot of games," Henry said.
Henry spent his sophomore season at Withrow High School in Cincinnati , where he had 1,127 yards and 10 touchdowns on 71 catches. He was a Division II first-team all-state selection.
But Henry will play his junior season at Mater Dei in Santa Ana, California. It is his second transfer, having played for West Clermont High School as a freshman.
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This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: What Chris Henry Jr. wants in Ohio State 2026 quarterback commit
