Tag: A.J. Henning

2021 Season Countdown: #23 A.J. Henning

Name: A.J. Henning
Height: 5’10”
Weight: 185 lbs.
High school: Frankfort (IL) Lincoln-Way East
Position: Wide receiver
Class: Sophomore
Jersey number: #3
Last year: I ranked Henning #41 and said he would be a backup wide receiver with 7 catches for 90 yards and 1 touchdown (LINK). He caught 6 passes for 59 yards and ran 3 times for 15 yards.
TTB Rating: 86

Henning was a freshman speedster last season who would have really benefited from playing a full season. A jack-of-all-trades type of high school player, he never got a chance to spend much time honing his craft of playing wide receiver. The highlight of his freshman season was a leaping catch on a jump ball for 28 yards against Penn State, but otherwise, he had a pretty uneventful freshman year. That made sense because of the presence of then sophomore Giles Jackson, a similar slot-type player with a year of experience under his belt.

Jackson has since transferred to Washington, opening the door for Henning to be the resident gimmick player, a guy who can run the ball, catch the ball, and return kicks. If his high school film is to be believed, he has very good speed, some power, and some wiggle. It will be a matter of translating those athletic skills to the college game, and hopefully a full off-season has helped with that. Michigan will probably use him in a variety of ways, but I don’t expect him to start. While the Wolverines don’t have any true superstars at receiver, they do have some more experienced and proven players in the forms of Ronnie Bell, Cornelius Johnson, and Daylen Baldwin, among others.

Prediction: Backup wide receiver and starting kick returner; 14 catches for 170 yards and 2 touchdowns

Michigan vs. Penn State Awards

Let’s see more of this guy on offense . . . Hassan Haskins. Haskins averaged 5.9 yards per carry on 17 attempts (stat line: 17 rushes, 106 yards, 2 TD). The quarterbacks combined to average 4.0 yards per passing attempt. Of course, you’re probably not going to be able to break off big runs if you’re handing off the ball 60 times and throwing it 20 times, but Haskins was not used enough. He’s the most consistent runner behind a mediocre (or bad) offensive line.

Hit the jump for more.

2020 Season Countdown: #41 A.J. Henning

Name: A.J. Henning
Height: 5’10”
Weight: 183 lbs.
High school: Frankfort (IL) Lincoln-Way East
Position: Wide receiver
Class: Freshman
Jersey number: N/A
Last year: Henning was a senior in high school (LINK). He caught 52 passes for 835 yards and 13 touchdowns, ran 121 times for 648 yards and 15 touchdowns; and returned 1 punt for a touchdown.
TTB Rating: 86

Henning was a big win for Michigan on the recruiting trail. The Illinois Gatorade Player of the Year finished the cycle as a 4-star, the #18 wide receiver, and #102 overall. Spending time at both running back and wide receiver, his speed and quickness were on display regularly. But when it came time to compete with other stars at the All-American Bowl, Henning did not stand out.

Michigan brought in some speedy players in the 2020 class, and I think Henning is the most likely freshman to contribute at wideout. Between Donovan Peoples-Jones and Tarik Black, Michigan loses 59 receptions from the 2019 season. Cornelius Johnson and Giles Jackson should see bigger roles, but I think Henning will be the 2020 version of Giles Jackson: a guy Michigan can line up in the backfield, in the slot, and maybe on special teams.

Prediction: Backup wide receiver; 7 catches, 90 yards, 1 touchdown

Hit the jump for his senior highlights.

2020 Recruiting Awards

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You can take a look back at the awards for the 2019 class if you want (LINK).

Best Overall Recruit: DE Braiden McGregor
McGregor lost a little bit of steam in the recruiting world when his senior season ended in a fizzle after a knee injury. That doesn’t put a damper on my excitement for him, though. Michigan does a good job of developing defensive talent – particularly defensive ends – and I expect that to continue with McGregor.

Hit the jump for the rest of the awards.

Afternoon Roundup: May 5, 2020

Jalen Mayfield is a 1st rounder to Mel Kiper, Jr. (LINK).

Shea Patterson spoke about being undrafted (LINK).

Check out this thread of clips of J.J. McCarthy throwing to A.J. Henning and others (LINK). I can’t say I’m a big fan of some of these drills, but there has to be something to keep QB gurus employed…

I can’t remember if I linked this previously or not, but it’s a great piece from Nick Baumgardner on Josh Uche (LINK).

Dm’ed Uche the video of my son freaking out after he was drafted to the Pats. I was shocked when he responded and then made this cameo off of it. So cool. Such a nice guy and wish him all the best in the league. pic.twitter.com/YBgDoB2NOh

— Bridget (@GoBlueHail) May 3, 2020

Hit the jump for more.