Daily Dawg Thread – 30May2019 – Class Of 2020 4-Star WR A.J. Henning – By Matthew Hall
The Georgia Football program’s 2020 class currently sits at the #5 spot nationally per 247Sports Team Class Rankings. The group consists of 10 commitments of which 8 are listed as 4-Star recruits while the other 2 that round out the class possess 5-Star ratings. Of those 10 pledges to play for the University of Georgia Football program in the near future, only 4-Star Justin Robinson plays the wide receiver position. With the #1 wide receiver in the Class of 2020 Julian Fleming projected to pick Ohio State when he announces on May 31 at 8:00 P.M., the Dawgs have a sense of urgency to reel in other top players at the position for the welfare of the Bulldogs’ offense for the future. For a short time period it appeared as if the Dawgs were legitimate contenders to get Fleming as the 5-Star wide receiver had planned to take an official visit to Athens on May 31 and he was reportedly trending towards UGA as his school of choice. All of that suddenly changed and shifted in mid-May though as Fleming ended up cancelling his previously planned official visit to Georgia and decided to take one with Ohio State instead. Fleming now appears to be on track to become a Buckeye while there is a very small percentage of a chance that the coveted offensive playmaker spurns Ohio State for the Penn State Nittany Lions.
With Fleming likely off the board and out of contention to become a Dawg, other wide receivers must become athletes written on the player wish list for the Georgia Bulldogs. As the upcoming weekend approaches, the UGA Football program will play host to one of those possible wide receiver wish list targets for the Class of 2020 when 4-Star WR A.J. Henning of Lincoln-Way East High School of Frankfort, Illinois, will make the trip and visit Athens. Henning does hold an offer from the Dawgs of which he was the recipient of in the latter part of March.
A.J. Henning is currently rated as the #15 overall wide receiver and the #1 overall player in the state of Illinois for the Class of 2020 per 247Sports Composite Rankings. “The Prairie State” receiver is not the tallest at his position of play when compared to many of the others that are a part of his respective class and he is eerily similar to newly departed wide receiver Terry Godwin with respect to his height. Whatever degree to which Henning may be lacking in as it relates to his frame and stature, he makes up for it with the attribute of speed that he possesses. The talented wide receiver prospect recently ran a 4.46 at The Opening Regionals in St. Louis this past April. In an effort to further reiterate the type of speed that he has been blessed with, the future collegiate WR ran a 10.73 in the 100 meter dash this Spring. With this speed, the “Land Of Lincoln” product has the capability to merely outrun his opponents more times than not instead of having to be an offensive weapon that simply makes defenders miss. The aforementioned assessment does not mean that he is not capable or lacking in terms of his ability to do so though. Along with his impressive quickness, he has shown that he has the ability to go up above others and bring the ball in for completions via reliable and trustworthy hands. Henning is a very versatile athlete that can be moved around if it be needed. He is the type of wide receiver that can play in the backfield, in the slot position, or even as an outside receiver. All in all, the top overall player from the state of Illinois is an electric player and is a wide receiver that has deep ball and home run threat skills.
Henning visited the Georgia Football program this spring and that trip to “The Classic City” made a big impression on the wide receiver target. He elaborated on that fact when speaking with 247Sports about his experience and thoughts after making the visit referenced herein to Georgia.
“I describe it as unforgettable. It blew past my expectations going into it. The coaching staff was very welcoming. They showed me around the whole campus, showed me the weight room and I got a chance to sit down and talk with Coach (Kirby) Smart. Overall it was a good vibe there. As a whole they broke down what they wanted me to play in their offense. It would be the slot position. Talking to academic advisors and talking to Coach Smart, it’s a very academic-driven school. I didn’t know it was so hard to get into the school. They said all the players work hard and they work in the classroom as well as on the field.”
Class Of 2020 4-Star WR A.J. Henning On His Visit With The Georgia Football Program This Spring Via 247Sports
A.J. Henning holds some 29 offers including ones from many Power 5 programs to include the likes of Michigan, Notre Dame, Ohio State, LSU, and Alabama among others. 247Sports Crystal Ball Predictions currently have him at a 43% chance of picking Notre Dame as the school where he will play at on the collegiate level. Michigan is purported to be heavily in the mix of things as well for the 4-Star wide receiver. Henning has plans in the works to visit both of the schools in an official capacity during the month of June along with his visit to Georgia in the coming weekend. Look for Georgia Football Head Coach Kirby Smart and company to do all that they can this upcoming weekend with Henning in town with the hopes of bringing him in to play “Between The Hedges” on Saturdays in Athens in the near future.