Wednesday presented a turbulent National Signing Day for the Ohio State Buckeyes.
Prior to high school recruits putting pen to paper around the country, the Buckeyes lost offensive coordinator and recruiting mastermind Brian Hartline to USF.
While Hartline will remain with Ohio State throughout their College Football Playoffs run at defending their national title, his departure put the scare into a few top-tier recruits.
Namely, five-star receiver Chris Henry Jr. walked back his commitment to Ohio State after the news of Harline’s departure went public.
But according to a new report on Rivals, Ohio State head coach Ryan Day picked up the phone and made a call to one of the best receivers in the nation on Wednesday evening.
According to the report, Day reminded Henry over the phone that Ohio State had nine first-round wide receivers selected in the NFL Draft. He reportedly reminded the young receiver that Oregon has never produced a first-round receiver in that same timeframe.
Day stated that Ohio State’s success at getting wideouts in the NFL was a collective effort – not just the result of having Hartline’s voice in the room.
The buzz around the recruiting scene on Wednesday was that Henry would ponder the Oregon Ducks as well as Ohio State, as he was previously unaware that Hartline had planned to depart the program.
Day’s message is all that needs to be said. Ohio State consistently produces NFL wide receivers. First-round picks like Emeka Egbuka, Marvin Harrison Jr., Jaxson Smith-Njigba, Garrett Wilson and Chris Olave have all become immediate NFL contributors after successful careers in Columbus.
Even mid-round talents like Terry McLaurin and Curtis Samuel have carved out tremendous careers in the NFL.
Oregon has some pretty powerful NIL backing, but Henry claimed that his looming decision was not money-driven. With that in mind, Day’s phone call likely served as a reminder that Ohio State could help the young receiver accomplish everything that he wants to in the NFL one day.
Currently, Ohio State has at least two first-round draft picks on their roster. Carnell Tate will undoubtedly be one of the first receivers drafted in April’s draft. In 2027, Jeremiah Smith will likely be one of the first overall players selected – regardless of position.
While Oregon has genuinely turned themselves into a respectable Big Ten program over the past few seasons, Day’s phone call should be enough to convince a young wideout to play in Columbus – especially if his intentions are to play football on Sundays.
