Ohio State is headed into 2026 with Chris Henry Jr. projected to be much more than a depth piece. The five-star freshman receiver is expected to play a major role opposite Jeremiah Smith, giving the Buckeyes another big target in a room that could turn into one of the most crowded on the roster.
That is why Henry Jr. is drawing attention now. Smith enters his final season of college football in 2026 after winning a National Championship in 2024 and earning Consensus All-American honors in 2025, and the expectation around him raises the bar for everyone else. At 6-foot-5, Henry Jr. fits the kind of outside role Ohio State can use next to Smith, especially if the offense wants to keep size on the field without sacrificing speed or upside.
Jerquaden Guilford is part of that same picture. He committed to Ohio State on July 18, 2025 after a recruiting path that included a pledge to Penn State in December of 2024 and a de-commitment the following February. Ohio State beat out Ole Miss, Indiana and Michigan for him, and his recruiting stock kept climbing; he finished the cycle as the No. 5 WR and a top-50 player overall after originally being listed as the No. 50 WR and No. 315 player nationally. He also earned five-star status on Rivals, and he backed that ranking up with over 1,000 receiving yards and 14 touchdowns in a breakout senior season at the prep level.
The complication is that Ohio State is trying to keep several freshman receivers in the class even after rumors that Henry Jr. and Guilford could be on the way out when Brian Hartline took over as head coach at USF. Instead, Guilford shed his black stripe on Aug. 26, a sign that the staff still sees him as part of the plan. Brock Boyd is also pushing to get into the mix and crack the two-deep right away, which leaves Ohio State with a simple problem and a good one: too many receivers who believe they belong on the field.
Guilford, who is 6-foot-3, gives Sayin another big-bodied target alongside Smith and Henry Jr., and that matters because the Buckeyes are not just collecting names. They are sorting roles. If Henry Jr. is indeed the outside threat opposite Smith, then Ohio State is signaling that its 2026 passing game will be built around size, separation and the ability to rotate fresh talent without losing its edge. The only real question left is how quickly that crowded group turns promise into snaps.
