Ohio State football freshman Chris Henry Jr. loses black stripe

Ohio State wide receiver Chris Henry Jr. shed his black stripe on April 15.

He became only the second freshman to reach the program milestone during spring practice, following fellow receiver Brock Boyd, who lost his stripe two weeks ago.

Henry, who is the son of the late Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Chris Henry, was the nation’s top-ranked prospect at the position during the most recent recruiting cycle, providing a large catch radius with his 6-foot-5, 195-pound frame.

The Buckeyes held off a late push from Oregon and USC to sign him as the Big Ten schools sought to capitalize on the departure of Brian Hartline, the heralded wide receivers coach who took the head-coaching job at South Florida in December.

Henry grew up in Ohio before he moved to Southern California to attend Mater Dei High School in Santa Ana.

The loss of the black stripe is considered a rite of passage for newcomers to the program, including those who transfer from other schools, a tradition that began under former coach Urban Meyer. It indicates a player has become a full-fledged Buckeye.

The Buckeyes have one more practice before their spring game on April 18.

Joey Kaufman covers Ohio State football for The Columbus Dispatch. Email him at jkaufman@dispatch.com and follow him on @joeyrkaufman on X.

This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Ohio State football freshman WR Chris Henry Jr. loses black stripe