When Chris Henry Jr. lined up for the 40-yard dash, he had Brian Hartline’s attention.
The Ohio State wide receivers coach crouched down, setting his stopwatch out. When the 2026 wide receiver blazed past him, Hartline stopped the timer, turned to his assistant coaches, and said, “He’s a future first-round pick.”
It wasn’t the only time Henry showed off for the assistant coaches Monday afternoon.
The 6-foot-2, 174-pound receiver out of Cincinnati consistently had a step ahead of each defensive back he faced, getting nods of approval from both Hartline and assistant athletic director for player personnel Mark Pantoni.
All Henry did was what he had known since the start of his eighth grade season last fall: that he was an elite receiver. Ohio State, Monday afternoon, only gave him that validation, giving him his sixth Division 1 offer along with Grambling State, Connecticut, West Virginia, Marshall and Akron.
“It was a surprise, but I think I earned it because I worked for it,” Henry said. “But just makes me want to get better, you know?”
The son of the late Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Chris Henry, Chris Henry Jr. said his father and the other former NFL athletes around him, including cornerback Adam “Pacman” Jones, inspire him to get better each and every day with aspirations of getting to where they once were.
“He inspired me because I want to work as hard as he did and make it to the places he did and be better than him,” Chris Henry Jr. said of his father.
Working with Hartline Monday afternoon, Henry couldn’t help but think about the Ohio State wide receiver coach’s track record for making that happen, with two first-round wide receivers coming from his room in the 2022 NFL Draft and likely another one on the way.
It was Henry’s first time working with Hartline, calling him a “great coach,” helping the 2026 wide receiver through all the drills Monday. He said the Ohio State wide receivers coach liked Henry’s ability to check the ball down and his speed, also showing a willingness to be coached.
But Henry is not satisfied.
The 2026 receiver’s goal moving forward is to remain consistent, getting better each and every day, and letting the offers roll in.
“I don’t let it get to my head,” Henry said. “I stay humble, but I’m very grateful and blessed to receive an offer.”
