Hudson Henry taking hits, growing fast

There was a lot of talk about the tight ends heading into the 2020 season, but five games in, the worries have been calmed.

Hudson Henry, now a near mirror image of his older brother Hunter Henry at 6-foot-5, 249-pounds, had the best game of his young career against Texas A&M, racking up 33 yards on six receptions. It wasn't just the catches that impressed head coach Sam Pittman though.

"On our good tape yesterday, we actually showed Hudson," Pittman said Monday. "He took a couple of really nice shots from the guys at A&M and he gave the ball to the official, got up, went to his alignment, assignment and went on about his business. That’s a redshirt freshman and he’s getting tougher. He’s getting better."

Though Henry's taken a bit longer to contribute than his second-round pick older brother, he's solidified his starting job throughout the season and Pittman is picking up on a new level of maturity.

"I thought he had his best performance Saturday," Pittman said. "He took a couple of nice shots. The best they could give him. Earlier in the year that would have affected him. So he’s maturing, he’s growing. He understands that he’s a weapon. He’s really perfect for our offense."

Henry now has 12 catches, one touchdown and 75 yards on the season, ranking sixth on the receiver stat sheet. His blocking grades, per PFF, are a mixed bag, but he says he's working on it.

"Being able to manhandle a guy -- take him where you want him to go -- requires a lot of thought and technique and physicality," Henry told the media Wednesday night. "Sometimes I’ll see myself on film and I feel like I’ve got leverage on my guy and I’m blocking him really well, and one thing I can keep working on is just to keep straining.