Henry's A Hog

In his weekly recruiting column for Hawgs Illustrated, Dudley E. Dawson writes about how the Arkansas commitment of Pulaski Academy tight end Hunter Henry (6-6, 240) on Thursday afternoon gives the Razorbacks both of 2013 top football and basketball prospects in the state. This story is free and sponsored by the Arkansas Toyota Dealers.

The University of Arkansas already had the state’s top basketball player committed and now had the best in-state football prospect pledged to be a Razorback as well.

Pulaski Academy tight end Hunter Henry (6-6, 240) – Arkansas’ top-ranked player according to Hawgs Illustrated and Scout.com - made that announcement Thursday afternoon to a packed crowd at his high school’s gymnasium.

Henry, the nation’s third-best tight end per Scout.com, visited Arkansas privately about two weeks ago and made his decision last week.

“I’ve just been praying about it and just all the relationships I’ve had over the past two years or so,” Henry said. “I kind of revisited (Arkansas) about a couple of weeks ago. I kind of kept it quiet and kind of went over there privately. I had some questions that I wanted answered. And I got those questions answered.”

Some had wondered if the fact that Arkansas – whose current head coach John L. Smith in on a 10-month contract - not knowing yet who its head coach would be next year would a factor in Henry’s decision.

That turned out to not be the case for a player who caught 64 passes for over 1,000 yards and 16 touchdowns last season.

“It’s about the program to me,” Henry said. “It’s not really about the coaching staff. … It’s always felt like home to me. Throughout this process I kind of wanted to look everywhere to make sure it was the right place for me … Now, I just know it’s the right place for me.”

Henry – who becomes Arkansas’ 10th commitment of the 2013 class - chose the Razorbacks over a final six group of teams Georgia, Alabama, Oklahoma, Stanford and Vanderbilt after getting some 25 offers.

He will follow in the footsteps of his dad Mark, who was all-SWC offensive lineman for the Razorbacks and played collegiately from 1988-91.

“He was pretty jacked,” noted Henry, who joins Razorback basketball commit Bobby Portis in giving Arkansas pledges from the hoops and grid prospects in Arkansas.

Arkansas has now landed four of the state’s top five recruits with Henry and the Fayetteville trio of quarterback Austin Allen, linebacker Brooks Ellis and safety Alex Brignoni.

“I’m really excited to keep talking to those guys,” Henry said. “I’ve been talking to them quite frequently lately so I am really looking forward to getting to know those guys better."

Fayetteville and Pulaski Academy – both state champions last season – will scrimmage Aug. 23 in Little Rock.

Those players will now go to work trying to get North Little Rock tailback and Alabama commit Altee Tenpenny – the state’s second-ranked player - into the fold.

Henry said he talked with former Arkansas star and current Green Bay Packers tight end D.J. Williams as well as current Razorback tight ends Chris Gragg and Austin Tate before making his decision.

“I just really like those people up there and how they handle themselves,” Henry said.





Hunter Henry