COLUMBUS, Ohio — The Ohio State football program is expected to sign five receivers during the early signing period for the 2026 recruiting class, which lasts from Dec. 3-5. Learn more about these members of the Buckeyes’ recruiting class with this profile.
Ohio State’s receiver recruiting has perhaps the most unfair expectations of any position on the entire roster, if not the whole nation.
The Buckeyes have had numerous first-round picks in the last handful of years, and each year, the standard for Ohio State is to continue that pipeline so long as offensive coordinator Brian Hartline remains on staff.
For the 2026 class, consider that box checked.
There’s expected to be five signees to Ohio State’s 2026 class, all of whom will bring a various skillset to the offense. And while five is a large number, it could end up proving worthwhile.
The two headliners in the class are five-star Chris Henry Jr. and four-star Kayden Dixon-Wyatt, who were teammates at Mater Dei in California. Both should enter the receiver room with a chance to contribute right away.
Dixon-Wyatt fits the mold of a more recent blue-chip Ohio State receiver, like a Carnell Tate — who is his comparison on 247Sports. Him factoring into the two-deep in his freshman year certainly is a possibility.
Henry, though, provides a bit of a different spark.
He’s a massive receiver at 6-foot-5, and perhaps even taller than that. He fits a prototype of an Ohio State receiver that hasn’t existed in recent years, especially under Hartline. When he shows up on campus, he should have the talent to be ready to contribute right away.
Then, you factor in his size, and he could be someone that the Buckeyes use in red zone situations as a specialist. At bare minimum, his addition should give Ohio State some flexibility.
Then there’s three other prospects, all of whom will almost certainly be depth players in their first seasons in Columbus with three-stars Brock Boyd and Jaeden Ricketts, and four-star Jerquaden Guilford.
Boyd and Ricketts profile as slot receivers — Boyd being the more refined route-runner, and Ricketts being the speedster that can give the Buckeyes another element out of the slot.
Ricketts, an in-state prospect, committed very early in the process, just after his junior season had ended. He was the second receiver pledge, behind Henry.
Boyd took his recruitment into the spring, when Ohio State pushed for him to back off of his pledge to TCU. The Buckeyes eventually won out, as they landed Southlake Carroll’s all-time leading receiver.
Guilford, the last addition of the class, committed over the summer despite a strong push from Ole Miss as his commitment drew near. A late-riser in the class, he’s truly exploded onto the season as a senior and become one of the best receivers in the entire 2026 class.
He profiles as an outside receiver, leaving Boyd and Ricketts to the slot. Though Hartline prefers his receivers be able to play all three spots, which Guilford can do, he should be able to stand out on the outside with his athletic profile.
Altogether, Ohio State’s 2026 class has everything anyone could conceivably want in not just a receiver class, but in any position group.
The Buckeyes have elite, game-breaking upside. They’ve got versatility to move around at the position. There are different body types that can provide different looks to opposing teams. There are in-state prospects who are likely to understand what it means to commit to the home state program, and out-of-state prospects who compete in some of the best areas of the country. There are development projects, ready-made talents and upside that can be developed.
Once again, Ohio State’s receiver class is the gold standard for all recruiting classes across the country.
Chris Henry Jr.
School: Mater Dei (Santa Ana, California)
Height, weight: 6-foot-5, 205 pounds
247Sports rating: Five-star prospect rated the No. 1 receiver and 1st-best recruit in California. 247Sports composite’s 10th-ranked player nationally.
Other offers: Akron, Alabama, Auburn, Boston College, Cincinnati, Colorado, Florida State, Georgia, Grambling, Kentucky, Louisville, LSU, Marshall, Miami (FL), Michigan, Michigan State, NC State, Notre Dame, Oregon, Penn State, Pittsburgh, Purdue, South Florida, Syracuse, Tennessee, Texas, Texas A&M, UCLA, UConn, UMass, USC, Virginia Tech, West Virginia, Wisconsin
Kayden Dixon-Wyatt
School: Mater Dei (Santa Ana, California)
Height, weight: 6-foot-2, 180 pounds
247Sports rating: Four-star prospect rated the No. 21 receiver and 15th-best recruit in California. 247Sports composite’s 135th-ranked player nationally.
Other offers: Alabama, Arizona, Arizona State, Arkansas, Auburn, California, Colorado, Colorado State, Florida, FAU, Florida State, Georgia, Georgia Tech, Hawaii, Kansas, Maryland, Miami (FL), Michigan, Nebraska, North Carolina, Notre Dame, Oklahoma, Ole Miss, Oregon, Penn State, Sacramento State, SMU, Syracuse, Tennessee, Texas, Texas A&M, UCLA, UConn, UNLV, USC, Utah, Washington.
Jerquaden Guilford
School: Northrop (Fort Wayne, Indiana)
Height, weight: 6-foot-2 1/2, 190 pounds
247Sports rating: Four-star prospect rated the No. 22 receiver and 1st-best recruit in Indiana. 247Sports composite’s 137th-ranked player nationally.
Other offers: Ole Miss, Michigan, Purdue, Indiana, Akron, Arkansas, Ball State, Eastern Michigan, Georgia, Kansas, Kentucky, Miami (FL), Michigan State, Missouri, Penn State, Pittsburgh, Tennessee, Toledo, Vanderbilt, West Virginia, Wisconsin.
Jaeden Ricketts
School: Watkins Memorial (Pataskala, Ohio)
Height, weight: 6-feet, 187 pounds
247Sports rating: Four-star prospect rated the No. 62 receiver and 20th-best recruit in Ohio. 247Sports composite’s 424th-ranked player nationally.
Other offers: Akron, Ball State, Bowling Green, Illinois, Indiana, Kent State, Miami (OH), Ohio, Toledo, West Virginia.
Brock Boyd
School: Southlake Carroll (Southlake, Texas)
Height, weight: 6-foot-1, 180 pounds
247Sports rating: Four-star prospect rated the No. 84 receiver and 81st-best recruit in Texas. 247Sports composite’s 601st-ranked player nationally.
Other offers: Arizona, Arkansas State, Austin Peay, Baylor, Boston College, California, Colorado State, Houston, Illinois, Kansas State, Kentucky, Mississippi State, Nebraska, North Texas, Oklahoma, Ole Miss, Oregon, Pittsburgh, San Diego State, SMU, TCU, Tennessee, Texas State, Texas Tech, Toledo, Tulane, UNLV, UTEP, UTSA, Vanderbilt, Washington, Wisconsin.
Read more about Ohio State’s 2026 wide receiver class
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