A.J. Henning

Class:
Junior
Position:
WR
Height:
5-10
Weight:
185
Hometown:
Frankfort, Ill.
High School:
Lincoln-Way East

CAREER GAME-BY-GAME STATISTICS

CAREER HIGHS

Receiving
• Catches: 4 - vs. UConn (Sept. 17, 2022)
• Yards: 37 - vs. UConn (Sept. 17, 2022)
• TDs: none
• Long: 28 - vs. Penn State (Nov. 28)

Rushing
• Attempts: 1, 10x - last vs. Colorado State (Sept. 3, 2022)
• Yards: 74 - vs. Western Michigan (Sept. 4, 2021)
• TDs: 1, 2x - last vs. Ohio State (Nov. 27, 2021)
• Long: 74 - vs. Western Michigan (Sept. 4, 2021)

Punt Returns
• Returns: 5, 2x - last vs. Hawaii (Sept. 10, 2022)
• Yards: 70 - vs. Northern Illinois (Sept. 18, 2021)
• Touchdowns: 1 - vs. UConn (Sept. 17, 2022)
• Long: 61 - vs. UConn (Sept. 17, 2022)

Kick Returns
• Returns: 4 - vs. Ohio State (Nov. 27, 2021)
• Yards: 112 - at Maryland (Nov. 20, 2021)
• Touchdowns: 1 - at Maryland (Nov. 20, 2021)
• Long: 81 - at Maryland (Nov. 20, 2021)

At Michigan
• Two-time All-Big Ten selection as a return man (second team, coaches and media, 2022; third team, coaches and media, 2021)
• Three-year letterman (2020-21-22)
• Named the team's Special Teams Player of the Year (2022)
• Two-time Academic All-Big Ten honoree (2021, '22)
• Has appeared in 33 career games at wide receiver with three starts; made 24 appearances as a punt returner and three as a kick returner

Junior (2022)
• Appeared in 13 games as a wide receiver and punt returner; returned 28 punts for 201 yards with one touchdown and 11 kickoffs for 241 yards, and added 60 yards on nine receptions and nine yards on three carries to earn his third varsity letter
• All-Big Ten selection as a return man (second team, coaches and media)
• Named the team's Special Teams Player of the Year
• Shared Special Teams Player of the Week honors for his performances against UConn, at Iowa
• Totaled three touches against Colorado State (Sept. 3), with a six-yard carry, seven-yard catch, and a 10-yard punt return
• Played as a wide receiver and punt returner against Hawaii (Sept. 10), adding a 35-yard punt return
• Started in the slot against UConn (Sept. 17); caught four passes and returned a punt 61 yards for a touchdown
• Played as a wide receiver and punt returner against Maryland (Sept. 24)
• Returned three punts at Iowa (Oct. 1) with a 13-yard long
• Caught a 16 yard pass, returned four punts for 36 yards, and returned three kickoffs at Indiana (Oct. 8)
• Played as a wide receiver and returned two punts and two kickoffs against Penn State (Oct. 15)
• Returned one punt and also played at wide receiver against Michigan State (Oct. 29)
• Carried the ball once, and returned one kickoff and punt playing receiver and returner at Rutgers (Nov. 5)
• Returned six times (four punts) and had a 31-yard kickoff return against Nebraska (Nov. 12)
• Made a three-yard catch and also returned a punt at Ohio State (Nov. 26)
• Played at punt returner and wide receiver against Purdue in the Big Ten Championship (Dec. 3)
• Caught two passes and registered five returns against TCU in the Vrbo Fiesta Bowl/CFP Semifinal (Dec. 31), including a 16-yard punt return

Sophomore (2021)
• Appeared in all 14 games at wide receiver, returning punts in 12 and kickoffs in two while contributing on special teams; caught 10 passes for 79 yards and carried nine times for 162 yards with two touchdowns, with one kickoff return touchdown to earn his second varsity letter
• All-Big Ten performer as a return man (third team, coaches and media)
• Named Special Teams Player of the Week honors for his performance against Northern Illinois
• Had a 74-yard end-around rush for a touchdown against Western Michigan (Sept. 4) and also caught one pass for 11 yards
• Caught one pass playing wide receiver against Washington (Sept. 11)
• Caught a 24-yard pass and had one 26-yard run playing wide receiver against Northern Illinois (Sept. 18)
• Was targeted twice in the passing game against Rutgers (Sept. 25) and returned one punt 29 yards
• Carried twice at Wisconsin (Oct. 2), playing wide receiver
• Played as both a punt returner and wide receiver at Nebraska (Oct. 9)
• Caught two passes for 15 yards and returned three punts against Northwestern (Oct. 23)
• Caught a seven-yard pass and returned three punts with a 22-yard long at Michigan State (Oct. 30)
• Carried once for 18 yards and returned two punts against Indiana (Nov. 6)
• At Maryland (Nov. 20), received a lateral from Michael Barrett on the kickoff return and took it to the house, 81 yards
• Opened the scoring against Ohio State (Nov. 27) with a jet sweep touchdown, and also had a nine-yard catch as part of 107 all-purpose yards
• Took a carry 29 yards and returned two punts against Iowa in the Big Ten Championship Game (Dec. 4)
• Returned a punt 16 yards and caught one pass against Georgia in the Capital One Orange Bowl/CFP Semifinal (Dec. 31)

Freshman (2020)
• Appeared in all six games with one start at wide receiver; carried five times and caught six passes for 74 all-purpose yards to earn his first varsity letter
• Caught a 14-yard pass at Minnesota (Oct. 24) in his collegiate debut and added a six-yard carry
• Turned two touches into 24 yards against Michigan State (Oct. 31), including a 15-yard reception
• Contributed at wide receiver at Indiana (Nov. 7)
• Carried once and also caught one pass against Wisconsin (Nov. 14)
• Made his first career start against Penn State (Nov. 28) working out of the slot and caught a 28-yard pass among three others

Prep
• Attended Lincoln-Way East High School (2020) coached by Rob Zvonar
• Honor Roll student at Lincoln-Way
• Led the Griffins to an undefeated record and an appearance in the state championship in 2019
• As a junior, helped lead his team to the Class 8A semifinal
• Helped Lincoln-Way East win the Class 8A state title as a sophomore (2017) and senior (2019); had a 17-carry, 154-yard, two-touchdown performance in the state championship game as a sophomore

Key Statistics
• Totaled 29 touchdowns in 2019, including one via punt return, and scored a two-point conversion
• As a senior, caught 52 passes for 835 yards with 13 touchdowns, adding 648 yards on the ground on 121 carries with another 15 scores
• In 2018, rushed 29 times for 204 yards and caught 12 passes for 271 yards while he battled injuries
• Also competed in track and field, where he finished fourth in the Class 3A 100-meter dash (10.73) as a junior

Honors and Rankings
• 2019 Gatorade Player of the Year in the state of Illinois
• Has a 247Sports Composite ranking as a four-star recruit, the 92nd overall player nationally, the 17th-best wide receiver in the country and the top player in the state of Illinois
• Four-star prospect according to 247Sports; No. 141 prospect nationally, the No. 27 wide receiver and the No. 2 player in Illinois
• Ranked 108th in the ESPN300; listed as the No. 16 wide receiver nationally, the fifth-best player in the region and the top player in the state of Illinois
• Rivals.com four-star prospect, the 86th-best prospect in the country, the 14th-overall receiver and the No. 2 prospect in Illinois
• PrepStar Magazine Top 150 Dream Team member; listed as the top prospect in Illinois, the 21st-ranked receiver nationally and the 96th-overall player in the country
• 2019 Chicago Sun-Times Player of the Year
• 2019 Southwest Suburban Conference Player of the Year
• 2019 The Southtown Player of the Year, The Daily Herald Player of the Year and the WJOL Radio/Edgytim Player of the Year
• All-State selection in 2019
• Attended NIKE’s The Opening regional camp in 2019
• Selected to participate in the All-American Game

Personal
• A.J. Henning was born September 9, 2001
• Son of Sharika Jefferson and Antiwan Henning
• Grandfather, Quinn Richardson, played basketball at Illinois from 1979-80 to 1983-84