Ohio State may already have its next rare wide receiver waiting in line for his opportunity. As Jeremiah Smith continues to set the standard in Columbus, freshman Chris Henry Jr. is drawing the kind of praise that usually follows only elite athletes, with David Pollack already tagging the five-star player as the Buckeyes’ next “freak.”

“Chris Henry Jr. is going to be the next freak. Jeremiah Smith is still there. Obviously, the playmaking is still there,” David Pollack said on his show See Ball Get Ball with David Pollack.

Bruce Feldman has been creating the Freaks List since 2005 to highlight the strongest, fastest, and most talented college football players. Last year, Ohio State’s Jeremiah Smith topped the list for his size, speed, and big-play ability. This year, all eyes are on freshman Chris Henry Jr., who has the same physical tools and talent to follow in Smith’s footsteps and become the next top standout from Columbus.

While Smith overpowered defenders with his raw physical burst, Henry brings a different flavor of dominance. Standing at 6-foot-6 with 34-inch arms, his massive catch radius naturally gets the better out of defensive cushions. He tracks deep balls with superior body control for his size, mirroring the same undeniable gravity Smith commanded as a freshman.

Most receivers of his height struggle to sink their hips, but Chris Henry Jr. drops his weight effortlessly into his breaks. That fluidity, paired with his ability to win contested 50-50 balls, easily justifies his five-star ranking. It also proves that Henry isn’t just tall, but also a sudden, quick-twitch athlete built to create immediate mismatches.

Henry Jr.’s production matched the hype throughout a dominant high school career that spanned three different schools. After a promising freshman campaign at West Clermont, he exploded as a sophomore at Withrow, setting a school record with 71 catches for 1,127 yards and 10 touchdowns.

After turning heads at Withrow, he moved to Mater Dei, but his junior season was cut short because of a knee injury. Even then, he caught 24 passes for 588 yards.

Football runs in his family. Chris Henry Jr. is the son of the late Chris Henry, who played college football at West Virginia and later in the NFL for the Cincinnati Bengals. His sister, Seini, is also an athlete, as she plays on the Ohio State women’s basketball team. This strong sports background helps explain his talent and potential.

After Brian Hartline’s move to South Florida, Arthur Smith came to hold the team’s offense, and it’s a big opportunity for Henry Jr. to develop under him.

As for being called a ‘freak’ by David Pollack, it is a great compliment to his natural ability. The “Freaks List” is an annual preseason tradition in college football, and is compiled by veteran reporter Bruce Feldman to highlight the most physically gifted athletes in the sport.

First published in 2005, Feldman launched the list to spotlight players whose workout numbers seemed humanly impossible. Ironically, the very first list featured future Hall of Famer Calvin Johnson being ranked six spots below Nevada’s B.J. Nande.

The list originally featured only 10 players, but its popularity and the increasing data available from team strength coaches led it to expand to 50, and eventually to 101 players by 2024. Feldman gathers intel throughout the year. He speaks with college coaches, strength and conditioning staffers, NFL scouts, and trainers. He looks for verified GPS speeds, weight room maxes (squat, bench, power clean), and explosive metrics like vertical and broad jumps to decide who will be good enough to make his list.

In 2024, South Carolina WR Nyck Harbor became the first player in the list’s 20-year history to hold the No. 1 spot for two consecutive years. Harbor, a 6’5″, 242-pound receiver, ran a 10.1-second 100-meter dash, a speed that would have allowed him to compete in the preliminary heats of the Summer Olympics.

Before being drafted, Ohio State’s very own Marvin Harrison Jr. was ranked No. 2. Feldman noted that coaches compared him to Bigfoot or the Loch Ness Monster. Harrison’s 6’4″ frame with his 380-pound bench press and 500-pound squat sets simply should not have resulted with him still being that fluid on the field during games.

Big hopes rely on Chris Henry Jr. at Ohio State

Ohio State will depend on its main players to keep the team strong. On offense, players like Julian Sayin and Jeremiah Smith will play a big role, while on defense, players like Kenyatta Jackson Jr., Jermaine Mathews Jr., and Devin Sanchez will lead the team. If the experienced players perform well, the team can still win around 9 or 10 games. But if the new freshmen also play really well, the team could become even stronger and possibly go undefeated in 2026.

One of those key freshmen is Chris Henry Jr. He may need to play a role similar to what Carnell Tate did last year, especially in scoring situations near the red zone. In Arthur Smith’s offense, the team often uses strong players to push forward, but there are chances for wide receivers like Henry to make big plays on the outside. Henry needs to run past defenders and make impressive catches in the air to help the team score more.

The good thing is that Henry already has these skills. He is known for making big plays, catching difficult passes, and using his strength to gain extra yards. The offense also focuses on long drives and smart passing, which suits his playing style well and can tire out defenses over time. Because of all this, a lot of attention will be on Henry in his first year. People will be watching closely to see if he can deliver important plays for the team.