Texas State lands major coup in commitment from Andrew Henry

This is the time of year when most college coaches try to squeeze in a little vacation time. When many of them get back, they’ll likely be disappointed to see that Andrew Henry is no longer on the open market.

The high three-star all-purpose back that transferred to Allen High School this spring committed to Texas State on Friday evening; simultaneously giving a show of respect to the Bobcats for recruiting him and an act of defiance for those programs that have dragged their feet on offering him. Henry is very likely to see interest in him from bigger programs pick up during the fall while playing for one of the state’s top 6A programs, but for now, he’s confident he’ll be given every opportunity to shine on a program that is still very much in need of playmakers.

“The way they’re like a family down there is the first thing that stands out,” he said. “They had been urging me to get there I can see them trying hard to recruit me, acting like a family – calling and texting me – the whole staff treated me like a part of the family so fast and that was a big deal.”

Should Henry stick with Texas State through National Signing Day, he’ll be tied with just two other players since 2011 as the highest-ranked recruits signed by the Bobcats. The staff is certainly aware of that and has let him know that he’ll be showcased as quickly as possible.

“They said that I would be playing right away,” he said. “They’re going to let me show my skill level. It’s there, but I just need to be able to show it for people to believe in it – and they do believe in it – because I feel like I can compete with anyone in this country, really, and having a whole coaching staff believe in you is a whole different story ... Playing as a freshman and having a chance to come in and start, that’s big.”

That doesn’t just seem like lip-service when his lead recruiter is also in line to be his position coach and his offensive coordinator.

“I talk to Coach K [Zak Kuhr] almost every single day,” he said. “Since we’ve been talking, he hasn’t even really been acting so much like a coach, he’s been acting more like a father-figure type. He asks me about my school work, we talk about life, we don’t just talk about football we talk about everything.”

Henry has been the focus of some level of national attention for some time, but for whatever reason, offers from bigger programs simply haven’t materialized. Since Rivals began ranking prospects in the 2019 class, he was nationally ranked as one of the country’s top all-purpose backs and is currently ranked eighth at the position overall.

Some question remains about if and when those bigger offers start to come in, what that will mean for his commitment. Regardless, he sees a chance to be the centerpiece of an offense tailored to him.

“I’ve been told throughout high school that I am going to get this offer or that offer,” he said. “I’ve been waiting, but I just don’t want to miss the opportunity that I have now. Say I don’t commit and I wait, I know I am this type of player but I wait for those offers and I don’t end up getting them – then I miss out on a spot that I know I have with people that believe in me now.

“I enjoy Texas State,” he added. “I know that even if I didn’t get any more offers I would feel comfortable going there … They believe in me a lot and understand the player that I am, so we’ve talked about that a lot and if an Oklahoma State or a Colorado comes in they understand taking a visit.”

That will be a bridge to cross when he gets to it. For now, he’s all Bobcat and his relationship with the staff and the program has him excited about a future in San Marcos.

“At the end of the day, I enjoy the people there and for me to enjoy where I’ll be living for the next three-to-four years is a huge thing,” he said. “Texas State showed me that it’s more than just about football and that’s just huge.”