The nation’s No. 1 wide receiver of the 2026 class, Chris Henry Jr., officially signed the papers to enroll at Ohio State on National Signing Day 2025. The five-star prospect from Mater Dei High School in Santa Ana, California, is one of the elite talents entering the recruiting portal. He’s been a top target for some of the top Power Four schools, but it’s no more a case to worry, as the WR officially becomes a Buckeye bound. He’s a generational talent, coming from a football family. Let’s take a look at where he inherited his football skills, learning who Chris Henry Jr’s parents are and his family background.

Who is Chris Henry Jr.’s late father, Chris Henry?

Chris Henry Jr. is the son of the late NFL wide receiver Chris Henry. His father was an alumnus of West Virginia University and played for the Mountaineers from 2002 to 2004. Henry made an immediate impact in his freshman season. He received 1000 yards in one season, averaged 24.5 yards per reception, which earned him the Big East Freshman of the Year in 2003.

He finished his collegiate career as the third player to average more than 20 yards per reception in the school’s history. His historical run made him the 3rd round pick at the 2005 NFL Draft for the Cincinnati Bengals. Arrests and controversies marred his professional career, which came to a close in 2008. 

Unfortunately, in 2009, Chris Henry passed away at the age of 26 after sustaining multiple injuries falling out of a moving truck driven by his fiancée. Autopsy revealed a case of CTE, which several football players have suffered due to multiple hard hits to the head. Despite the sad reality, his son is living out his own journey on the gridiron.

Speaking about his favorite highlight, Chris Henry Jr. pointed out his father’s game-winning score in a 19-16 overtime victory over Maryland on Sept. 18, 2004.

“I just picture myself there,” Chris Henry Jr. said to ESPN. “I see myself in those moments. I see myself in those videos. I see myself in him.”

Who is Chris Henry Jr.’s mother, Loleini Tonga?

Loleini Tonga was Chris Henry’s fiancée and the person closest to him in his final moments, present during the tragic incident that ended his life in 2009. She got engaged to Henry and has three children. Seini Henry, Chris Henry Jr., and DeMarcus Henry. After Henry’s passing, it was his teammate Adam “Pacman” Jones, who helped in raising the kids.

What ethnicity are Chris Henry Jr.’s parents?

Henry Jr’s father is of American descent and was born in Belle Chasse, Louisiana. His mother, Loleini Tonga, is of Polynesian descent, from the Tonga dynasty. Henry used to call Loleini ‘Polynesian Beyonce.’

Chris Henry Jr.’s relationship with his parents

Chris Henry Jr. was just 2 years old when his father passed away. Since then, it’s always been his mother who raised the three kids. Apart from her, even Jones has made a lot of impact on the kids.

“I feel like Uncle Pac helped him a lot,” said Henry’s older sister, Seini, a freshman basketball player at Ohio State. “He was the father figure guiding Chris through all of that stuff.”

This is a developing story