Wednesday, September 12, 2007
For three years, Marcus Henry flew under the radar.
KANSAN
The senior wide receiver lined up in the slot and served as the third option in a Kansas offense that relied mainly on veteran receivers like Brian Murph and Mark Simmons. Now that Henry is the resident veteran of the receiving corps, he is making his mark on Kansas Football.
“He has really improved his game tremendously,” Kansas coach Mangino said. “He’s gotten a little better every year that he’s been with us, but this year he really just has a good feel for things. He’s more confident than he’s ever been.”
Henry may be confident, but he isn’t cocky or overly self-assured. The Lawton, Okla., native speaks quietly — quietly enough to have earned the nickname “Mute” from teammates — and usually punctuates each statement by praising the performance of a teammate.
Despite his low-key demeanor, it’s a wonder he slipped by largely unnoticed for the first three-quarters of his college career. At 6-foot-4 and 210 pounds, Henry presents the ultimate in match-up problems for most opponents. He is fast enough to beat many cornerbacks deep down the sideline, tall enough to snare a stray pass and opportunistic enough to make big plays out of nowhere. In the first two games of the 2007 season, Henry has done all of that and more.
By The Numbers
Marcus Henry, senior WR, 6’4”, 210 lbs.
2006:
Receptions, Yards, Long, Avg., TDs
25, 316, 33, 12.6, 3
So far in 2007:Opponent, Receptions, Yards, Long, Avg., TDs
Central Michigan: 7, 103, 46, 14.7, 1
SE Louisiana: 5, 119, 66, 23.8, 0
Projected 2007 totals:Receptions, Yards, Long, Avg., TDs
72, 1332, 66, 18.5, 6
Earning praise
“Running routes, catching, blocking — he’s really developed into a heck of a player for us,” Mangino said. “The last couple of years he was always what you’d call a solid player. Now he’s kind of taken his game to the next level where he’s a factor in the games.”
Henry reeled in seven catches for 103 yards against Central Michigan and five more for 119 yards last weekend against Southeastern Louisiana. His 222 receiving yards place him third in the Big 12 Conference behind two players from the pass-oriented Texas Tech offense.
Sophomore quarterback Todd Reesing, who is quickly becoming a star at the same time as Henry, has clearly found a favorite target in Kansas’ new offensive scheme. Though many Jayhawk receivers swap in and out at the other wide-out position, Henry is a constant in the lineup, and for good reason — he fits into the new offense perfectly.
“Our offensive system this year is different,” Henry said. “We’re getting the ball out to the receivers a little more this year, so any receiver on the team can have a 100-yard game with the way this offense is built.”
Despite the fact that Henry humbly said his success is a product of the system, there could be more to his breakout season.
The right time
“This year it just feels different,” Henry said. “Just knowing it’s my senior year and this is my last time going around. I just want to take advantage of everything.”
Henry is making the most of his opportunities up to this point. He is on pace for more than 70 receptions and 1,300 yards, marks that would eclipse the current Kansas single-season records. If he continues on his current pace, national attention will inevitably follow.
That could catch some casual observers off guard, but it would not surprise his teammates, who voted him most likely to surprise in a preseason poll. When asked about the honor, Henry chose to deflect some of the praise back to his teammates.
“I’d congratulate them for picking me for that, but anybody on the team could be a big surprise with the way our offense is made up,” Henry said. “We have a lot of young people out there playing and anybody could be a surprise.”
Marcus Henry has lived up to his teammates’ prediction through the first two games of 2007. That leaves 10 more opponents for the Kansas wide receiver to catch off guard.
— Edited by Luke Morris
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