Oregon Ducks Pushing to Flip Ohio State Buckeyes 5-Star Commit Chris Henry Jr.

"My interest in Oregon is definitely up there. I would put them right behind Ohio State," Henry Jr. said to 247 Sports just this week.

Check out what Henry Jr. was wearing on Wednesday, Feb. 5.

While in Eugene for a second time, Henry Jr. commented that he felt "already a part of the team" and formed a close kinship with receiver coach Junior Adams. Due to these relationships, there might still be a chance the Ducks can turn Henry Jr.

"When I was up there, I got to talk to Coach Lanning, Coach Adams, and Coach Stein. Their message to me was that I'm a priority for them and that they're not going to give up," Henry Jr. told 247 Sports.

Yet, Henry Jr. has held a strong support of Ohio State on his social media, replying to speculations about decommitment and NIL pushes for his favor with a photo of Buckeye receiver coach Brian Hartline smoking a cigar after helping the Buckeyes win the National Championship against Notre Dame (34-23).

It's also important to note that Henry Jr.'s sister, Seini Hicks, is a freshman forward for the Ohio State Women's Basketball team. Familial ties can be a strong draw for some athletes to a program.

To emphasize how much of an asset Henry Jr. could be for the Ducks, it's essential to know the young athlete has been compared to wide receiver Jeremiah Smith, also of the Ohio State Buckeyes. Smith, a true freshman, was an immediate player for the Buckeyes, and even put up 187 yards and two touchdowns during the Buckeyes' dominant Rose Bowl win against the Ducks (41-21).

"At close to 6-6 and 195 pounds, Henry is one of the longest receivers in the ’26 class but has surprisingly agility and lateral quickness," said 247 Sports National Recruiting Analyst Greg Biggins. "He’s explosive out of the gate, can stop and start on a dime, change direction and obviously has that huge catch radius. He has the long speed to stretch the field and hit the home run but the size and sure handedness to be a go to guy on key third down situations."

Time will tell if Oregon's pursuance of Henry Jr. will pay off, as the Ducks continue collecting talent in the off season.