The college football world has got its new assignment. For so long, it has been chasing the National Championship title. Now, it’s the transfer portal. Yet another story of the archrivals, Ryan Day’s Ohio State Buckeyes vs. Sherrone Moore’s Michigan Wolverines. Looks like the Moore factor is not going to let Day live in peace. Already he had faced death threats after losing to the Wolverines. Now Moore and Co. are trying to lure away his 5-star WR, Chris Henry Jr. Yes, we know Day is at an advantage.

According to athletic director Ross Bjork, donor-led collectives and brand affiliates paid Ohio State about $20 million. Plus, he has the National Championship title under his belt. But it looks like Moore has one weapon that might leave Day in the backseat in the Henry Jr. race.

Henry Jr. has now reeled in all the attention towards him. After all, he is the No. 3 player in the 2026 class and the No. 1 WR in the nation. Even though he has been committed to Day’s squad since July 2023, he is exploring other programs as well. That’s how the star player from Mater Dei High School in California could not move past Moore’s attention.

On the Michigan Sports Talk podcast, the host shared, “EJ Holland of the Wolverine said head coach Sherrone Moore and the coaching staff were on the West Coast and did stop by at the national powerhouse, Mater Dei, and they did see the 5-star wide receiver Chris Henry Jr.”

There are also other suitors on the list, including the Oregon Ducks, Tennessee Volunteers, and Texas A&M, among others. As per the sources, Henry Jr. has already won the Wolverines’ hearts. Moore and the other staff members followed the wide receiver on social media. Here comes the interesting part.

Even though Henry Jr. has stayed loyal to the Buckeyes, he might slip and land in Ann Arbor. That’s solely because Moore is privileged with an edge. What’s that? The host confirmed, “Michigan with their new NIL approach. They could potentially have a shot at pursuing Chris Henry Jr.”

Well, that’s true. The Wolverines lured Bryce Underwood from the LSU Tigers by likely bringing in a more than $10 million NIL offer to the table. “Michigan took a won’t be outbid approach with Bryce Underwood. They also got in the mix with Ty Haywood with an NIL push. They could do the same with Chris Henry Jr.” Last time it was Barstool Sports founder Dave Portnoy who shelled out $3 million to end Moore’s QB woes by landing Underwood. Now what about Henry Jr.? Well, the 5-star Ohio State commit has dropped the hammer. 

How Ohio State has a special place in Chris Henry Jr.’s heart

On January 28, Henry Jr. re-shared EJ Holland’s tweet, which states that Moore and Co. might play the NIL card to land the WR. However, Henry Jr.’s reply would shut all the speculations. The Ohio State commit did not go for any statement. Rather, he added the Buckeyes’ co-offensive coordinator Brian Hartline’s picture with a cigar in his mouth. So, the CFB fans surely have picked up the hints, right? 

If this answer isn’t enough, here is another one. On the On3 Recruits podcast, analyst Alex Gleitman drew a clear picture. He stated, “I think Chris Henry Jr. through with Pacman Jones as his guardian, his mentor is very level-headed about this. I don’t think he’s someone who’s going to make any irrational decisions.” Right now the Buckeyes have a deadly combo that’s enough to keep Henry Jr. in Columbus for some more time. What’s that? 

Gleitman shared, “I don’t really see the Ducks being able to flip or anyone else really being able to flip Chris Henry Jr. Unless both Ryan Day and Brian Hartline are not in Ohio State. At least one of them would have to have left the program for it to even be a possibility.” Even Chris Henry Jr. has been vocal about how the Ohio State HC’s resilience has won his heart. So, no matter if Sherrone Moore plays the Bryce Underwood card or flashes NIL riches, Henry Jr. seems locked in with the Buckeyes.