FAYETTEVILLE — Following an Arkansas touchdown that put the Razorbacks ahead 21-7 in the third quarter Saturday at then-No. 16 Mississippi State, Sam Pittman greeted players with high-fives and words of encouragement as they jogged to the sideline.
Moments later, Pittman delivered a brief message in front of his offensive linemen. As he turned away from the group, tight end Hudson Henry gave his head coach a pat on the back.
Holding one end of his mask in his left hand, Pittman then appeared to hype up the redshirt freshman before giving him a one-armed hug.
The youngest of three brothers who have played or are playing for the Razorbacks, Henry was on the receiving end of the score that put Arkansas ahead by two touchdowns. He was congratulated by countless teammates, including fellow Little Rock native Luke Jones, and was all smiles on the sideline after making his first significant mark with the Razorbacks.
“You know, I think he’s just getting better each week,” Pittman said Monday when asked about Henry’s progress. “It’s awful nice seeing another Henry get in the end zone for the Razorbacks.”
Injured in fall camp in 2019, his college career did not immediately take off like many had hoped after a storybook experience at Pulaski Academy. The No. 1 tight end in the country out of high school, according to ESPN, Henry saw the field in just three games, playing 52 snaps. He caught three passes for 15 yards.
And his play in Week 1 against No. 4 Georgia left some wondering if he needed more time to be SEC ready.
On his first target of the season, Henry was hit hard and shaken up by Bulldogs star defensive back Richard LeCounte. Two plays later, he was flagged for a false start. With three-plus minutes left in the first quarter and Arkansas backed up at its 5, Henry was hit with a second penalty, another false start.
He did not factor in the rest of the way as Blake Kern took over a majority of tight end reps.
Henry atoned for his mistakes in the opener and became a reliable target for quarterback Feleipe Franks over the weekend. He finished with a career-high four catches for 20 yards — seven after the catch — and the touchdown.
“You know, he’s just a freshman — a redshirt freshman,” Pittman said. “I think he’s going to be a really, really good player for us and I think he’s doing a nice job. I’m proud of him.”
Former Razorbacks tight end Hunter Henry, now playing for the Los Angeles Chargers, congratulated Hudson on Twitter on his first score. He made sure to give some love, too, to Hayden Henry, who chipped in three tackles in an impressive performance from the Arkansas defense.
“Henry boys are flying around making plays tonight,” he wrote.
In addition to bringing in four of his five targets Saturday, Pittman said he has seen Henry become much more physical in the run game. That alone will help Henry see more snaps moving forward.
“I think he’s growing every week,” Pittman added. “I’m proud of him.”