22 IN '22: Wolverines to Watch: #16 - WR AJ Henning

Every Tuesday until the season begins TMBR will be counting down the "22 in '22 Wolverines to Watch". These are the twenty-two players with the best chance to make an impact ranked by their potential impact.

THE LIST: #22 DB Will Johnson | #21 OL Zak Zinter | #20 DL Kris Jenkins | #19 DB/WR Mike Sainristil | #18 WR Darrius Clemons | #17 EDGE Jaylen Harrell | #16 WR AJ Henning

AJ Henning was a dynamic and accomplished athlete out of Illinois in the 2020 class. A Rivals 4 star and top receiver in the country, Michigan saw early how Henning could be used in multiple ways in a pro spread offense. In his senior season, Henning caught 52 passes for 835 yards and 13 touchdowns but also had 648 yards rushing with another 15 touchdowns. Also a weapon in the return game, Michigan pitched Henning on continuing to be that type of weapon in Ann Arbor.

Henning committed to Michigan at the end of his official visit. Choosing the Wolverines over Penn State, Notre Dame, and Georgia. Former OC Josh Gattis and head coach Jim Harbaugh explained how Michigan's offense would be changing and exactly how they saw the dynamic player from Illinois fitting in.

In his first season in Ann Arbor, Henning saw limited action but did see the field in each of Michigan's six games. Henning showed flashes with the ball in his hand and caught a lot of people's attention early on.

In 2021, Henning started to become the multi-phase weapon Harbaugh had anticipated. It didn't like long for Henning to reintroduce himself to the Wolverine fans.

Henning played in all 14 games, catching and rushing the ball, as well as returning punts in place of injured Ronnie Bell. He snagged 10 passes for 79 yards and carried nine times for 162 yards with two touchdowns, and return a trick play kick return for a touchdown against Maryland. In the biggest game of the year, AJ Henning would have 106 all-purpose yards against the Buckeyes and got the scoring going with this opening drive touchdown.

READ: The versatility of AJ Henning

AJ Henning enters the 2022 season with high expectations on a loaded offense looking to become even more creative and explosive than they were last year. The focus of this coaching staff, in everything from recruiting to game planning, continues to be on versatility. Finding players who can be dynamic weapons, utilized in different ways to create mismatches, and then come gameday finding and exploiting those mismatches.

Henning is Weapon X in this offense. He can line up in the slot or on the outside as a WR. We've seen him run drag and slant routes and get deep down the sideline or in the seem. Henning in motion creates headaches for opposing defenses as they have to anticipate the potential handoff. Even when they see Henning head towards the QB stopping him is a whole other task. Henning had a ridiculous 18 yards per carry in 2021. With Hassan Haskins off to the NFL, Henning got run in the backfield this spring. Michigan is trying out different ways to get the playmaker the ball.

With both Harbaugh and Henning himself making Deebo Samuel comparisons, AJ Henning is coming into 2022 looking to make an impact on the field, wherever it is Michigan puts him. Between carries, targets, and returns Henning is likely looking at double-digit opportunities to make an impact in every game this season. Based on what we saw from him in a smaller role, I think Henning has a chance to make a big impact for a Michigan offense looking to be one of the best in the country.

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