When EA Sports College Football 27 opened early access on July 2, Ohio State showed up with one of the deepest rosters in the game. But 25 Buckeyes did not make the opening lineup, and the most notable absence is incoming five‑star wide receiver Chris Henry Jr.

Henry entered the 2026 cycle as the top wide receiver recruit in the class and a key piece of Ryan Day’s plan for the fall. The MVP+ edition of CFB 27 launched ahead of the full July 9 release, yet Henry does not appear on the Buckeyes’ early access roster.

Ryan Day’s No. 1 WR recruit proved his worth quickly, losing his black stripe as a true freshman. Since joining in January, Henry Jr. impressed in spring practice, though Ohio State briefly worried about losing him.

Committed as a sophomore, Henry Jr. wavered only when Hartline left for USF, which was a shock that lasted two days. That put his commitment to Ohio State in doubt. Within two days, he reaffirmed his pledge to Ohio State.

Under new WR coach Cortez Hankton, Henry Jr. joins Jeremiah Smith as a potential franchise cornerstone. He will take his first step towards it during Ohio State’s 2026 season opener against Ball State. But to see this standout WR on EA Sports CFB 27, fans will have to wait longer because he may not be on the roster yet, but that doesn’t diminish his chances of appearing in a later update.

There is some reason for optimism. Former Ohio State defensive end J.T. Tuimoloau was also missing from the launch version of EA Sports College Football 2025, but he was added in a later roster update once his participation was finalized. If that pattern holds, Henry Jr. could follow the same path and appear in CFB 27 after the game’s full release.

Take a glimpse of Ohio State’s players missing at release

Most Ohio State players are featured in the CFB 27 roster, but several are missing from early access. QB Luke Fahey and 24 other Ohio State players are absent from the early access roster, including Bennett Christian, Tucker Smith, and Brody Lennon.

Among other wide receivers, there are Brock Boyd, De’zie Jones, and Jaeden Ricketts. Even Jordan Thomas and Jordyn Woods are missing from the early roster of the virtual season. Although they are missing at launch, there’s a solid chance of their being featured after the release of the video game.

However, this isn’t the first time for OSU. In the 2026 release of this video game, OSU’s freshman class with 11 players wasn’t featured at launch. But later, it featured some. Therefore, fans don’t need to worry at this early stage about Henry Jr.