Pat McAfee Confirms West Virginia Was in Play for Chris Henry Jr.

Even though Chris Henry Jr. ended up staying true to Ohio State, announcing his final decision to join the Buckeyes live on the Pat McAfee Show on Friday, WVU was in the running. And for those who haven’t believed the speculation and WV Sports Now’s reporting, McAfee confirmed West Virginia was in play.

Soon after Henry made his announcement, McAfee was asked by Kirk Herbstreit about which others schools really had a shot to land the five-star wide receiver prospect. McAfee mentioned Oregon, but also made sure to include the Mountaineers. Then, when it appeared as if Herbstreit didn’t believe him, McAfee went into further detail about why WVU had a real shot.

“West Virginia was in the running because of who his father is. His dad, a legend at West Virginia, so him and Pacman (Jones) best friends at West Virginia. I mean, they were menaces on the football field. Maybe the most talent we’ve ever had on a field. So, there’s a chance Chris Henry Jr. wants to come back to West Virginia, and I think everybody that knows his family understands what the business opportunities were here because of who he is. They were floating some numbers out there on what was offered to Chris Henry Jr. from some of these schools, and it’s like, he’s got the work ethic, he’s got the lineage, he’s got the drive, he’s got the mentality, and he’s obviously got the physical traits,” said McAfee.

.@ChrisHenryJr has ALL of the traits and he can do it all..

"Him staying committed to Ohio State sends a MASSIVE message..

Ryan Day and his staff are gonna continue to add unbelievable recruits" ~ @KirkHerbstreit #PMSLive https://t.co/7JkChTMDFT pic.twitter.com/3lSu9t6FUx

— Pat McAfee (@PatMcAfeeShow) December 5, 2025

While viewed as a long shot, WV Sports Now was told that Henry to West Virginia was a real possibility on Wednesday. WVSN was told by a source that the Mountaineers were making a late push for the son of the late Chris Henry, who played for Rich Rodriguez during his first tenure. A source even said West Virginia has made a very sizable financial offer to Henry, one that’s far greater than what they normally offer players, even top recruits.

Obviously, no matter the offer and emotional connection, battling the likes of Ohio State and Oregon for a five-star prospect would’ve required an uncharacteristic financial investment for WVU.

Henry visited WVU in 2023 but was always been favored to choose Ohio State. Henry also drew heavy interest from Oregon, USC and Mami after briefly reopening his commitment before locking back in with the Buckeyes in April. He held over 30 offers from a wide range of Power Four schools, including West Virginia.

In addition to having Mountaineer blood by birth, Henry has also been mentored by another WVU football legend. Adam “Pacman” Jones, who played with Sr., both in college and the NFL, took Jr. and his siblings in and helped raise them after their father’s tragic passing at only 26 years old.

Henry Sr. spent three seasons in Morgantown. After redshirting in 2002, he won Big East Freshman of the Year with 41 catches, 1,0006 yards and 10 touchdowns in 2003. In 2004, he caught 52 passes for 872 yards and a dozen scores before declaring for the 2005 NFL Draft. At the draft, he was selected in the third round by the Cincinnati Bengals. He died just four years later in 2009.

Find more coverage of Chris Henry Jr. and WVU football recruiting at WV Sports Now.