While the USC Trojans have been in hot pursuit of some priority local recruits and are close to flipping a few, specifically from Oregon, one attempted flip appears like it will not be happening.
Mater Dei 5-Star wide receiver Chris Henry Jr. announced today that he will be shutting down his recruitment and will remain committed to Ohio State.
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BREAKING: Five-Star Ohio State WR commit Chris Henry Jr. has Shut Down his Recruitment, he tells me for @on3recruits
— Hayes Fawcett (@Hayesfawcett3) April 1, 2025
He has also cancelled his Official Visits to Oregon, USC, & Miami
“I want to be in Columbus and I want to be a Buckeye.”https://t.co/ih4BKIch35 pic.twitter.com/eh7k3WayMh
Chris Henry Jr. Shuts Down Recruitment, Will Not Flip To USC Trojans
The USC Trojans began picking up steam with Henry Jr. ever since he made an appearance at the program’s Junior Day at the beginning of the year.
USC, Oregon, and Miami were all hot on the trail and had seemingly picked up a lot of momentum with the 6-foot-5, 195-pound receiver. However, it looks like his mind is made up, and he will remain committed to the reigning National Champions. He has canceled all three official visits to those schools.
Many will view this as a big loss for USC, letting a high-priority local recruit get out of the state and to a Big Ten opponent, but the past context is very important.
Also Read: Latest Intel On Priority USC Trojans Recruit, Oregon Commit
Chris Henry Jr. is the son of former Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Chris Henry. He grew up in Ohio and began his high school career in the state of Ohio.
He played his freshman season at West Clermont High School in Batavia, Ohio. Before his sophomore season, he transferred to Withrow High School in Cincinnati. It was not until last year that he transferred to Mater Dei, ahead of his Junior season, a season that was cut short due to a knee injury.
So, Henry Jr. is an Ohio kid, and Ohio State is his home school. The Buckeyes and Ryan Day offered him a scholarship before he even began high school ball, and he committed to Ohio State all the way back in July of 2023 before moving to California and Mater Dei.
This is not to say that it is still a loss for the USC Trojans and that he would have been a tremendous addition to the class. But context matters, and so the narrative of local commit going elsewhere is not entirely true.
The Trojans will now turn their sights to Henry Jr.’s teammate at Mater Dei, Kayden Dixon-Wyatt. Ohio State is firmly in the mix for his commitment as well, along with Oregon and Alabama. USC will need to push to add him to an impressive 2026 class.