AJ Henning to the portal
Really disappointing to see this. Unsure why NOW, but hey -- his decision.
Think there would have been a very substantial role for him in 2023.
https://twitter.com/AJHenning3/status/1650537894174441473?s=20
April 24th, 2023 at 12:37 PM ^
The portal giveth, the portal taketh.
I just read he might be going to Iowa.
April 24th, 2023 at 12:38 PM ^
Good luck AJ.
I see Tucker Carlson and Don Lemon are also portaling today.
April 24th, 2023 at 12:43 PM ^
Both being portaled on same day..*chef’s kiss*
Wait until the news breaks that the two were fired virtually simultaneously due to an affair…with EACH OTHER!!!
I didn't need that image in my head.
Nothing surprises me anymore. Tucker could announce that he's transitioning and attempting to join the WNBA and I would shrug.
April 24th, 2023 at 12:55 PM ^
Wishing AJ the best.
As for Don and Tucker.. It’s a Clint Eastwood moment… “Make my day”.
Great opportunity for Cole Cabana to step into the return role.
Bill O'Reilly can get his old time slot back. Or maybe a cage match with Megan Kelly - winner take all!
It’d actually be more like “dismissed from the program” when it comes to Carlson & Lemon
What gets me is the "for following team rules and examples" part.
Unlike AJ, I'm more concerned about what abomination is going to replace those two corporate hacks.
AJ didn't make it onto my TV screen a whole shit ton.
But he made it a shit ton more than those other two jokers.
HAHAHAHA. I'll miss AJ, but I understand there's only so many mouths you can feed on a loaded offense.
As for the other two, maybe they'll join forces and reboot the old "Crossfire" show. Except, you know, with actual live crossfire, because America.
what if they recreated the old board game crossfire where you shot little bbs at each other?
Looks like it's one of those days when the news becomes the news.
April 24th, 2023 at 12:39 PM ^
He could have had a role on special teams for sure... I think you are going to see the Don a lot in packages with him and Corum on field together and that certainly would cut into any thing that Henning had to offer on offense. I expect to see the Don tearing up LB's in coverage we haven't had someone with his unique skill set in a long time.
April 24th, 2023 at 12:40 PM ^
I’m guessing he wants more of an opportunity on offense. Hopefully Cabana can step in and return kicks. Not sure who’s next man up to field punts.
April 24th, 2023 at 12:57 PM ^
Mason "Battering Ram" Graham is reportedly interested.
Big Ten Refs would throw a flag if he even lined up to return a punt.
Young Hill, who was promised playing time upon his commitment.
April 24th, 2023 at 12:41 PM ^
This isn't very surprising. He wasn't being used very much on offense. Michigan does not really use those gadget guys enough to keep them happy, which is why Giles Jackson and now Henning are in the portal. He only had 9 catches and 3 rushing attempts last season.
April 24th, 2023 at 12:47 PM ^
Too bad. But he seemed headed in the wrong direction in terms of playing time. So not surprising.
April 24th, 2023 at 12:52 PM ^
yeah, i was, frankly, a bit surprised he had stuck around this long instead of going somewhere where he has a shot to be like tyreek hill. on the field, of course - to want him to be tyreek hill OFF the field is something else entirely.
If he feels he's more of a every down guy (and there were rumblings of that) then he has reason enough to transfer. Special teams return specialist is good, but gadget guys are tough to implement in most offenses. The commonality between him and Jackson is that they were brought with "speed in space" in mind before Gattis took off (pun intended).
That being said, he was strong in his role as a returner and got to score a big one against OSU in the snow, so nothing but best wishes to him!
Statistically, Henning was one of the worst returners of the Harbaugh era (lowest PR average, 2nd lowest KR average). He did have a nice PR TD against UConn, though, which has a tendency to sway some people in a positive direction.
Those stats are fair, and based on them his actual returns were often lackluster.
I do think there are some intangible return qualities you get from guys who know what to do back there though, just in terms of knowing what/when to field. Maybe there is some touchback data or film that backs that up, but that's more of my gut speaking.
But given that, it's possible a Cabana or J. Hill could add some juice. Making sure to avoid costly errors should be the foremost feature of any return game though and Henning seemed good at that barring some early teething issues.
I wish AJ well, but I'm sure I wasn't the only to cringe every time AJ fielded a kick...True anxiety where I was please god, please god, please god don't fumble this kick.
J Hill...C'mon down!
Surprised he stuck around this long too. Michigan prefers using multiple TE's over guys like this which is working out just fine.
"Michigan does not really use those gadget guys enough to keep them happy"
Isn't that the definition of a "gadget guy" though? It's not a "gadget" if it's something you're doing on standard downs.
Another way to put it is just that U-M doesn’t use receivers much. Bell was the only non-RB on the team to average 3 touches/game from scrimmage last year.
He probably never agreed to be defined as a gadget guy though.
He was recruited for Gattis' offense. He publicly cited Gattis' "speed in space" scheme as a major factor in his decision to commit to Michigan: https://www.freep.com/story/sports/college/university-michigan/wolverines/2020/02/06/michigan-football-recruiting-aj-henning/4679257002/.
Unfortunately for Henning, "speed in space" never truly took hold under Harbaugh, and Gattis' departure coupled with Michigan's continued success after ditching pretty much all of Gattis' concepts put the writing on the wall for him.
April 24th, 2023 at 12:41 PM ^
Clemons and others had passed him most likely. Not a surprise that he is leaving.
April 24th, 2023 at 12:58 PM ^
Yeah, any player (at any program) entering the portal now after spring ball very likely saw the writing on the wall that they, in fact, did not have a substantial role for the upcoming season and are looking to find one elsewhere.
Only so many footballs to go around. Will miss him, though. He came in with so much promise.
April 24th, 2023 at 12:41 PM ^
I was actually curious whether this might happen (I'm sure I'm not alone).
I was hoping to see more out of Henning last year so this isn't that surprising. He really disappeared from the offense as the year wore on, but we'll always have his 2021 TD vs OSU.
Happy Trails, AJ!
Yep! Thanks, AJ, for that first TD against OSU on that snowy November day of 2021.
Yep! Thanks, AJ, for that first TD against OSU on that snowy November day of 2021.
It was snowing? Says who?
It was snowing? Says who?
Yes, we surely will. I could watch this on repeat 1000 times and would never get sick of it.
April 24th, 2023 at 12:42 PM ^
Cole Cabana. You're the man now, dog.
April 24th, 2023 at 12:42 PM ^
April 24th, 2023 at 12:43 PM ^
We’ll always have the opening TD in The Game in 2021. Hope for nothing but the best of luck to him.