A football star at Mater Dei Monarchs, Chris Henry Jr., commits to Ohio State to join his elder sister Seini, while his younger brother DeMarcus, with an offer from the Ohio State men’s basketball team, has yet to make his college decision.
Chris Henry Jr., the star wide receiver from Mater Dei in California, just committed to Ohio State. The five-star junior made it official a few weeks ago, choosing the Buckeyes over a bunch of big schools.
He said it felt like home the first time he visited, and now he’s locked in with coach Ryan Day for the class of 2026.
Let alone Chris Henry Jr., but he comes from an athletic family, which includes his father and siblings.
His father, Chris Henry Sr., was a wide receiver for the Cincinnati Bengals from 2005 to 2009. He played college ball at West Virginia, got drafted by the Bengals in the third round in 2005, and quickly turned into one of the scariest deep threats in the league.
Between 2005 and 2009, he caught 119 passes and 21 touchdowns for Cincinnati, a lot of them highlight-reel plays alongside Chad Johnson and T.J. Houshmandzadeh.
Many thought he was just starting to hit his prime in 2009. Then, on December 17 of that year, he died at only 26 years old after falling from the back of a pickup truck during a domestic argument in Charlotte, North Carolina.
Chris Henry Sr. and his fiancée, Loleini Tonga, had three kids together: Seini, Chris Jr., and the youngest, DeMarcus, who is better known as Bubba.
Seini was 3, Chris Jr. was 2, and little DeMarcus was 10 months old when their father passed away.
Chris Henry Jr’s Sister, Seini, Committed to Ohio State in April 2023!
The eldest of three Henry siblings, Seini Henry, is a 6-foot-2 forward who just finished her freshman year on the Ohio State women’s basketball team.
She started out playing at Julius Chambers High School in North Carolina, then moved to Cincinnati with her mom and brothers. At West Clermont High School, she averaged a double-double (13 points, 10 rebounds) and helped the team go 24-1.
After that, Seini played a little at Purcell Marian High School before the whole family moved back toward the Carolinas for a minute.
During her time at Purcell Marian, she earned a McDonald’s All-American nomination as a senior, playing in 9 games before her family relocated.
Later, she ended up committing to Ohio State for women’s basketball. She signed in the 2024 class, got a full scholarship, and is now a freshman for the Buckeyes.
Chris has talked about her a lot. After he committed, he told reporters, “My sister is already up there, so it’s going to be nice having family on campus.”
Ohio State Extended an Offer to Chris Henry Jr’s Brother, DeMarcus, aka Bubba, in May 2025!
When the family lived in Cincinnati, Chris Jr. and his brother, Bubba, 2 years younger than him, both played football and basketball at Withrow.
Bubba was only a freshman, but was already starting on the varsity basketball team.
After the family left Ohio again, DeMarcus received early college basketball offers, including one from Ohio State.
Ohio State offered him last spring, and he’s been to campus a few times with Chris.
In an interview with 247Sports last year, Chris said, “Bubba is better than I was at his age. He’s going to be special.”
Bubba hasn’t committed anywhere yet, but he wears Ohio State gear a lot and smiles when people ask about it.
The whole family moved from Cincinnati to California last year so the boys could play at Mater Dei.
Seini stayed in Ohio for college, but the plan has always been for all three to end up at the same school one day. Chris Jr. took the first big step, and if things go the way they hope, Bubba will follow soon.
