FAYETTEVILLE — Freshman linebacker Hayden Henry, who arrived as a blue shirt that won’t go on scholarship until January 2018, has quickly risen up the depth chart.
“Right now I am running with the twos right behind Randy (Ramsey),” Henry said. “It’s good. It was kind of hard at first, but I have adapted and I like it a lot.”
Henry, who has gained 20 pounds since his senior season at Pulaski Academy, is fitting in at the Razor outside linebacker spot and praised the Arkansas coaching staff for giving him an opportunity to play, even though he's not on scholarship. He is one of several former walk-ons now in key roles for the Razorbacks.
“I think they handle the walk-on situation really well,” Henry said. “Everyone on the team has an opportunity to play. It is not like if you are a walk-on you are not really going to get a chance.
“They let every one go out there and run the plays the best they can and execute and fly around and whoever is the best at the time is going to play. That’s how it works and that’s what I like.”
Henry is excited about his first college game being in his hometown Little Rock at War Memorial Stadium, where he won three straight state high school championships.
“It is going to be awesome,” Henry said. “War Memorial is a great atmosphere and it is going to be great to open up the season down there. There will be a lot of fans and it will be a great Thursday night.
“I have played three times in War Memorial and it is fantastic atmosphere. I love the stadium and there will be a lot of people there and it will be a great game.
“It is just the opening game and the opening game is always packed and being in central Arkansas makes it easier for people from south and east Arkansas to also make a game."
Pulaski Academy coach Kevin Kelly said earlier this week that Hayden is the most tenacious of the Henry family, which includes former All-SWC offensive lineman Mark - Hayden's father - and tight end Hunter, the oldest brother who won the 2015 Mackey Award.
Hudson Henry, a junior tight end at Pulaski Academy, is considered the nation’s best 2019 tight end by at least one major recruiting service.
“We all three have our strengths and our weaknesses and I play really hard, as hard as I can and I guess (Kelly) just saw something in me that he didn’t see in the other two," Hayden Henry said.
Hayden Henry had offers from Air Force, Navy, Harding, UCA and Ouachita Baptist, but dreamed of playing at a higher level and was happy to get the opportunity from Arkansas coach Bret Bielema.
“I was real close going to Air Force, actually,” Henry said. “It was kind of a late deal where I came up here and met with Coach Bielema and he offered me the blue shirt opportunity.
“It is just my dad playing here and Hunter playing here and I have always been a Razorback and I wanted to play here. And now I am here and it has been the best three months of my life so far.”
Hunter Henry warned Hayden of what to expect in his first college fall practice.
“He told me that fall camp was going to wear on me and it did,” Hayden said. “It’s a grind. Mental toughness is something a lot of people don’t have. You just have to keep pressing on the pedal.
“Every day you’re going to go out there and some days you’re going to be juiced and some days you’re going to be like, ‘Man, I don’t really want to practice today.’ But you have to crank it up either way. You have to get out there and fly around.”
While his two brothers are tight ends, Hayden was a safety throughout his high school career.
“I honestly have never played linebacker in my entire life,” Henry said. “I played safety in high school all three years. I came down a little bit in the box in high school, played a little bit outside linebacker, and I think that’s what they saw in me. Kind of a guy that can come play outside the box, down closer to the line of scrimmage.
“My brothers both have the height that I didn’t really get, but that’s all right. I have something they don’t have, a few things they don’t have. Playing outside linebacker has been great.”
Hayden Henry couldn't help but poke fun at his brothers.
“I just think that my football IQ is a little bit higher than both of them,” Henry said. “That’s what helps me learn the defense quicker and get to the ball faster than other people.”