How Ohio State’s 2026 recruiting class stacks up after Signing Day

Now that the dust has finally settled from last week’s Early National Signing Day, Ohio State fans can breathe again after landing the top wide receiver recruit in the 2026 class, Chris Henry Jr. Henry Jr. is a 6-foot-5 to 6-foot-6 wideout with more than 35 offers from programs across the country. He has been committed to Ohio State since the summer of 2023. The night before Signing Day, however, the coach who recruited him to Columbus announced that he would be leaving his position as wide receivers coach and co-offensive coordinator at Ohio State to take the head coaching job at USF. Brian Hartline’s departure made waves, and Henry Jr. immediately began to question his commitment. He reopened his recruitment, and programs like West Virginia, USC, and Oregon quickly swooped in to try to flip the standout receiver.

After some important conversations with Ryan Day, Henry Jr. did ultimately sign his letter of intent with Ohio State late last week, securing the Buckeyes’ only 5-star recruit in the 2026 class. With Henry Jr. officially on board, the natural next question becomes clear. What does Ohio State’s 2026 class look like now, and where does it stand nationally?

Ohio State's 2026 recruiting class

As of December 11, Ohio State has 27 commits in the 2026 class, all of whom signed last week. According to the industry rankings from both 247 Sports and Rivals, the Buckeyes currently hold the sixth-ranked class in the country. Chris Henry Jr. is the lone 5-star signee. The class also features 17 four-stars according to 247 Sports and 14 four-stars according to Rivals. There are 9 three-stars on 247’s board and 12 on Rivals. It is a strong, balanced group that includes four proven wide receivers, one of the top linebackers and cornerbacks in the class, and several quality additions along the offensive and defensive lines. The class features a healthy variety of positions and includes five to six top 100 recruits.

The 2026 recruiting classes above Ohio State

USC holds the top-ranked class after signing all 35 of its commits last week, one of the largest groups ever for a top-five class. Alabama sits at No. 2 with 22 commits, Oregon is No. 3 with 21 commits that include four 5-stars and 12 4-stars, Notre Dame is No. 4, and Georgia rounds out the top five. All of them sit ahead of Ohio State. Since Ryan Day took over as head coach, Ohio State has finished with a top-six recruiting class every single year. This current No. 6 ranking would be the lowest of his tenure, which is remarkable to consider. Day and his staff have made recruiting and development a priority, and that investment has paid off time and time again.

There is still room for possible flips and late additions as the college football offseason unfolds, but securing Chris Henry Jr. was a major win. Once again, Day and Ohio State have put together another top-tier class that will look to make its mark in 2026 and beyond.

This article originally appeared on Buckeyes Wire: How Ohio State’s 2026 recruiting class stacks up after Signing Day