Sibling bond between Seini Hicks, Chris Henry Jr. continues with Ohio State commitments

The Greater Cincinnati high school sports landscape is littered with siblings who excel at their chosen sport, but one household may have a stronger roster than most.

Between Seini Hicks, Chris Henry Jr. and DeMarcus Henry, as well as former NFL player Adam "Pacman" Jones' other children, there are 10 outstanding athletes under one roof. They may not all be siblings by blood, but their relationships are defined by competitiveness and responsibility to each other.

The two elders, Seini (pronounced "Sane-E") and Chris, share an especially prominent bond that has led them both to Ohio State University.

"It's always been us three. We're like the three musketeers," Hicks said of herself, Chris and DeMarcus. "I actually look up to (Chris) a lot."

After Chris Henry Sr. died in December 2009, Jones adopted Henry's three children, Seini, Chris and DeMarcus. They call him "Uncle Pac." Throughout the years, his guidance has meant so much to the three that Henry doesn't have words to describe it. He helped them become the athletes they are today while reminding them to remain humble and keep their priorities in order when stardom came their way.

"It's a phenomenal experience to watch a kid like that take everything in and still remain humble and hungry," Withrow football coach Kali Jones said.

Hicks' and Henry's path to Columbus

Hicks' recruitment began with offers from Appalachian State and UNC-Greensboro while she was in North Carolina. Her recruitment really started to take off when she moved to Cincinnati and joined the Midwest AAU circuit. She held a total of 12 Division I offers before committing to Ohio State in April 2023.

"When I went on my visit in September, it was just like a family environment that had everything that I wanted," Hicks said. "I just felt like it was home."

She has had quite the high school career to date, winning a North Carolina state championship at Julius Chambers High School as a sophomore before going 24-1 at West Clermont last season. In joining Dee Alexander, Jayda Mosley and Ky'Aira and Cy'Aira Miller as part of the two-time defending state champion Cavaliers, Hicks' goals are to complete the three-peat as well as score her 1,000th high school point. But above all, she wants to have fun.

Henry's recruitment followed a similar hockey-stick trajectory. His first three offers arrived on April 22, 2022, when he was still in eighth grade. Ohio State came calling not long after, opening the floodgates to a total of 24 offers that included Michigan, Notre Dame, Southern California and Tennessee. His commitment came on July 28, 2023, at SummerFest, the Buckeyes' summer recruiting event. It was a nonchalant announcement, reflecting his personality off the football field.

"I just wanted to go ahead and put it out there," Henry said of his commitment.

According to Hicks, Henry has always liked Ohio State, especially since they have a deep history of talented wide receivers that includes current position coach Brian Hartline. He likens himself to Marvin Harrison Jr., also the son of a former NFL star, because of their similar style of play and elite athleticism. He has also garnered comparison to Randy Moss, but Jones thinks he also resembles DeAndre Hopkins.

"His coordination, his ability to move his body and as big as he's gotten and as young as he is, that type of coordination you don't see until you're a second- or third-year college player," Jones said.

A bond that supersedes sports

Even though Hicks is a senior and Henry is just a sophomore, both are excited to be reunited at Ohio State in a few years. Before spending the 2022-2023 year together at West Clermont, the last time they went to the same school was in 2020 in North Carolina.

The two give opposing answers when asked if Hicks' commitment to the Buckeyes influenced her younger brother. Even if it wasn't the driving force, Hicks believes their sibling bond was certainly a factor.

"He'd say that it didn't, but I feel like it did because we're always like this," Hicks said as she intertwined the first two fingers on her right hand, symbolizing the bond the two share.

Even beyond college, their goals are similar. Hicks not only wants to play in the WNBA; she aspires to be an entrepreneur and start her own business. Henry's goals are similar. His dream team is the Bengals and his favorite players are Joe Burrow and Ja'Marr Chase. Jones believes there are multiple players on Withrow's roster this season who can play in the NFL but what separates Henry is his potential as a top-10 draft pick.

"He's a once-in-a-generation type of kid. I've had Big 10 coordinators tell me that Chris could start for them right now," Jones said.

Purcell Marian athletic director and girls basketball coach Jamar Mosley spoke similarly of Hicks: "Seini's ceiling is as high as they come. I mean, she dominates a game with her athleticism."

Leading a household of high-level athletes

Hicks and Henry are also tasked with being leaders in a household that features 10 high-level athletes in various sports, ranging all the way from Hicks as a high school senior to Pacman Jones Jr. in kindergarten. As the oldest of the crew, Hicks takes on the extra responsibility of being a role model.

"I always have to set a good example for them, always make sure that I'm doing the right thing because they're always looking up to me," Hicks said.

Henry adds that everyone in the house loves to have fun and compete against each other, which in turn makes them work harder and become better athletes. That competitiveness is another notch in Hicks and Henry's relationship. Despite playing different sports, Hicks says they take a similar approach to their craft. She describes herself and her brother as being "dogs".

"We'll do whatever it takes to win or better ourselves, and we always push each other," Hicks said.

Both know that they have improvements to make before they take their game to the next level. Hicks, who started playing basketball in the eighth grade, wants to work on her offensive skill set in the post as well as being a vocal leader. Henry, who is 6-foot-5 and has been described by both Pacman Jones and Kali Jones as the spitting image of his dad, would like to get faster and stronger to become even more of an offensive threat.

No matter what Hicks and Henry accomplish in their athletic careers, Mosley is confident that they will be successful because of their humility and leadership in everyday life.

"Ohio State's just getting two wonderful kids," Mosley said.

This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Seini Hicks, Chris Henry Jr. bond extends beyond OSU commitments