Five practices is all it took for Ryan Day to separate his playmakers. And this is noteworthy because Ohio State doesn’t hand out first team reps lightly to freshmen, though there have been exceptions. And Chris Henry Jr. could join those exceptions which include Jeremiah Smith.  The 5-star 6’5 WR already has his head coach nudging him toward something bigger than “developmental year.”

“He has to have the mentality that he wants to play from day one,” Ryan Day told reporters after Tuesday’s practice. “And that he’s starting in the first game, that should be his goal. Now, whether he does or not, we’ll see.  But he has all the traits. He has all the skills. He has everything that we thought he would be in recruiting we’ve seen in the field. So that’s exciting.”

As you can see, Ryan Day is setting the bar for Chris Henry Jr. at Day 1 starter. For a WR-U like Ohio State, that expectation comes with pressure but the former Mater Dei, CA, standout is already proving himself this spring. Reports out of spring ball suggest he’s been “touching” just about every Buckeye CB thrown his way. In one rep, he even beat presumed CB1 Jermaine Mathews Jr. in a deep ball.

As the No. 14 overall prospect and the No. 2 WR, Chris Henry Jr. was expected to be this all along. At Mater Dei High School, he put up 607 yards and six touchdowns in just eight games as a senior. Still, college is different and Ryan Day made sure to underline that.

“To me, it’s going to be his mindset,” Ryan Day said. “His approach, how quickly he learns things, how fast he adapts to the offense, and can take care of the football and play with the speed and physicality that it takes to play in the Big 10.”

Even with the hype, Ryan Day offered a timeline. Maybe Week 1, maybe midseason, or maybe even special teams first. That’s how it worked for guys before him like Garrett Wilson, Chris Olave, and Jaxon Smith-Njigba. While they didn’t explode immediately, it was something to remember when they did. And that brings us to the blueprint sitting right next to Chris Henry Jr. in the locker room because if you want to be a breakout freshman at Ohio State, there’s Jeremiah Smith.

“I think about Jeremiah,” Day added. “He was an Iron Buckeye, and that’s a big deal around here. One of the first freshmen to ever be an Iron Buckeye around here, and found his way on the field to be a starter right out on week one. So it’ll be the same challenge for Chris.” 

Jeremiah Smith’s 1,315 receiving yards as a freshman is legendary but this spring practice got him thinking there’s a “next one up.” For him, Chris Henry Jr. has the quiet, laid-back chill Cali vibe and doesn’t get engrossed in hype talk except keep his head down and work. Even WR coach Cortez Hankton echoed that balance but brought up one concern saying he’s “talented, but he’s young.”

Chris Henry Jr. is already rotating through drills as a blocker, working punt return reps, and earning early looks with the first team. And this happens when the staff trusts what they’re seeing. But while he’s chasing a starting job, someone else just made Ohio State history in a completely different way.

Brock Boyd joins elite company as black stripe falls early

At Ohio State, losing your black stripe is a statement and WR Brock Boyd did it after just six practices. After Urban Meyer installed this tradition in 2012, only two freshmen have ever done it faster which are Jeremiah Smith and Carnell Tate. And what happened to them? Smith turned that early stripe removal into the greatest freshman season in program history. Tate followed with a quieter Year 1 before exploding into a future top-10 NFL Draft projection. 

Brock Boyd also becomes the only fourth true freshman to lose his black stripe in March as ten years ago, on this same day, WR Austin Mack also lost his black stripe. Now, his name sits alongside a lineage that includes Marvin Harrison Jr. and Garrett Wilson, guys who shed their black stripes earlier than their batchmates and dominated in the NFL. 

This brings us back to Chris Henry Jr. because while Brock Boyd is making history off the field, he’s chasing it on the field. Ryan Day has already made the expectation clear. The flashes and traits are there and the opportunity is sitting right in front of him. Now, it’s up to him whether he can translate that day 1 mindset to reality.