The Henry legacy will continue at Arkansas.
Pulaski Academy safety/linebacker Hayden Henry orally committed to Coach Bret Bielema on Monday after accepting an offer to become a blueshirt and count toward the 2018 recruiting class. Blueshirts are a new trend in college football in which an athlete can pay his own way and go through team activities for a semester, then go on scholarship for the following year.
Henry will report to Fayetteville this summer and participate in fall practice. He will go on scholarship as a redshirt freshman in January 2018.
“It’s been a dream of mine since I was little,” said Henry, who will play outside linebacker at Arkansas. “I’m excited that I get to follow my dad’s footsteps and follow in my brother’s footsteps and join the Razorback brotherhood and live my dream.”
His father, Mark, played for the Razorbacks from 1988-1991 and was an All-Southwest Conference center as a senior. His mother, Jenny, also attended Arkansas and her father, Skip Coffman, played basketball for Arkansas in the early 1960s.
Henry’s brother, Hunter, was an All-American tight end and a Mackey Award winner at Arkansas, and just completed his rookie season with the San Diego Chargers.
As a safety, Hayden Henry recorded 93 tackles, 9.5 tackle for loss, 4 interceptions, 3 fumble recoveries, 4 forced fumbles, 4 onside kick recoveries and 16 pass breakups and was named the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette All-Arkansas Preps defensive player of the year.
Henry, 6-2, 215, 4.67 seconds in the 40 yards dash, chose the Hogs over scholarship offers from Navy, Air Force, Central Arkansas, Missouri State, Dartmouth, Ouachita Baptist and Harding. He visited the Razorbacks Jan. 22 and learned of the offer from Bielema.
“My parents wanted me to go wherever I would be happy,”Henry said. “They were going to support me either way. Once I made my mind up they were all in. Hunter’s pumped too. I knew deep down Hunter wanted me to go to Arkansas."