After Ohio State’s second training camp practice indoors Friday, defensive coordinator Matt Patricia did not hide his concern about freshman wideout Chris Henry Jr. The former NFL head coach was asked on 97.1 The Fan if the 6-foot-5 teenager could be a nightmare to scheme against, and Patricia quickly widened the conversation.

“Yeah. Well, there’s another guy, JJ (Jeremiah Smith),” Matt Patricia said on 97.1 The Fan. “I’m like, okay, all that stuff I just said about 4, make sure we’re getting it about this guy, too… As the defensive coordinator, I’m coming into our meeting room going, ‘Guys, if we’re going to let a guy that should be in third period math class right now keep running through the middle of the defense, I’m going to lose it.’” 

Matt Patricia isn’t looking at Chris Henry Jr. like some kid who needs time to figure things out. The freshman already looks the part at 6’5 and 211 pounds. He came to Columbus with plenty of hype after finishing at Mater Dei. He caught 28 passes for 607 yards and six touchdowns in eight games as a senior. The year before was a different story. A knee injury cut his junior season down to just two games, but it barely dented his reputation.

Chris Henry Jr. gave Ohio State fans a preview in the spring game. He caught four passes for 96 yards, including a 40-yard touchdown from Tavien St. Clair. Now that the camp has started, he keeps getting noticed. But there’s a twist. He may not actually be the receiver making the strongest push for a starting job right now. That distinction belongs to Devin McCuin.

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The fourth-year transfer from UTSA was the standout of Friday’s practice. Devin McCuin caught multiple big passes from quarterback Julian Sayin, including a deep ball over the middle against Cam Calhoun, a toe-tapping touchdown in the corner of the end zone, and a long catch-and-run where he spun away from coverage.

Ohio State needs more than somebody who can run deep. The Buckeyes are replacing Carnell Tate opposite Jeremiah Smith and want more juice after the catch, too. Devin McCuin showed both during the second practice. He also took most of the first-team reps alongside Smith and Brandon Inniss. That makes the receiver picture a lot more interesting.

Devin McCuin spent three seasons at UTSA and broke out last year with 65 catches, 726 yards and eight touchdowns. The obvious question is whether that production carries over against Big Ten competition. His experience against Power Four teams is limited, and he managed only 15 catches for 95 yards across games against Tennessee, Texas, and Texas A&M.

Two practices in, McCuin has taken early command of the starting conversation. While Chris Henry Jr. remains the freshman prodigy everyone is watching, veteran depth like McCuin creates a real problem. Patricia’s frustration isn’t just about young stars running free. It is the realization that Ohio State’s defense has another lethal target to worry about every single snap.