Ohio State is a machine when it comes to producing top talent for the pros. In the 2026 NFL draft, four Buckeyes were picked in the top 11. And that train is not expected to stop with the likes of Jeremiah Smith eligible next year. While the focus is on the WR1, Ryan Day also has a freshman ready to make an impact. QB1 Julian Sayin shared his thoughts on the future of freshman wide receiver Chris Henry Jr.
“I think he’s a great player,” Sayin said to Urban Meyer, Mark Ingram, and Rob Stone on the Triple Option podcast. “He’s got a lot of potential, and had a great spring this spring. It’s been fun to kind of build that relationship with him and build that connection on the field.”
Sayin was himself a five-star recruit and the No. 1 quarterback in the 2024 recruiting class, and two years later, Henry emerged as a five-star recruit and the No. 1 wide receiver in the 2026 class. For such brilliant talents, the season does not have to begin before they start making headlines.
Henry first made a statement as a sophomore at Ohio’s Withrow University High School in 2023, where he set school records with 1,127 receiving yards and 10 touchdowns on 71 receptions. An injury limited him in his junior year after transferring to Mater Dei High School. However, he then transferred all of the high school hype to the Buckeyes’ spring game last month.
At the spring game, he led the Buckeyes in yards from scrimmage with four catches for 96 yards. He caught Sayin’s eye when he beat cornerback Jordan Thomas to catch a 40-yard touchdown pass from Tavien St. Clair.
“He’s done a really good job,” Sayin said after the program’s spring game. “You know, he’s a big, tall, fast receiver, and can make great plays. I think you saw a couple today. He had some great plays today, and I think he’s done a good job of developing in the program, and I think he’s got a bright future.”
Beyond the admiration, Sayin has been intentional about building a relationship with the youngster and helping him settle well in Columbus. It is such a great gesture to a young athlete who lost his father, former Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Chris Henry, when he was just two years old.
“I think it’s just getting the reps with him, whether it’s 7-on-7 or whether it’s team. And off the field, you really got to spend time with those guys just to build that connection. As an offense, this spring, we’ve done a good job of spending time. We gotta continue that over the summer of just bonding and doing off-the-field team activities, going out to eat, going out to do things.”
The bond is not just between Sayin and Henry Jr.; it is clearly one of the secrets of the program that finished with a perfect 12-0 regular season in 2025.
Julian Sayin rated as the No. 1 QB in college football
Sayin was one of the exceptional players on the Buckeyes in 2025. As the QB1, he threw for 3,610 yards, 32 touchdowns, and eight interceptions. His completion rate was mind-blowing: 301 of 391 attempts, a 77.0%, the third-best in FBS history. As a result, ESPN’s Greg McElroy is picking him as the No. 1 quarterback in 2026.
“He finished last year with a remarkable 3,600 passing yards, 32 touchdown passes, and eight interceptions,” McElroy said. “The completion percentage is one of the best in the history of the FBS. He was a Heisman Trophy finalist. He was the Big Ten freshman of the year.”
You see a defensive end beat the blocker, collapse the pocket. You see Julian Sayin take off, tuck the ball, and run for a touchdown,” McElroy said. “His rushing numbers from a year ago were in the negatives. He did not have a single rushing touchdown at Ohio State. But the first play he made with his legs was in the spring game.”
