16In16: #12 – Quadree Henderson
Was there a player on the entire PITT roster who took a bigger step forward than Quadree Henderson this season? In my opinion, I don’t think so. We saw glimpses of what Henderson could do for this team as the 2015 season went on and saw him burst onto the scene in the Military Bowl last season. But, I don’t think anybody thought that we would be comparing him to Tyler Boyd after the 2016 regular season.
Now, am I saying he is Tyler Boyd? Of course not, but he filled the shoes of Boyd this year by being the player that could make a big play happen anytime he touched the ball. And we saw a few of those big plays in the 2016 Spring Game and just how explosive he could be and what fans could expect this season.
And from game 1 this season fans saw just how special and important a player Henderson was to this team. Yes, the offense wasn’t quite clicking yet against Villanova, but when he returned the punt for a touchdown, that play made sure the momentum was 100% behind PITT in that game.
Henderson’s Special Teams statistics during the 2016 season included 28 kick returns for 871 yards and 3 touchdowns. And it also includes 14 punt returns for 250 yards and a touchdown. Henderson was such a weapon on special teams, that mid-season opposing teams were doing everything they could to keep the ball out of his hands on Kickoff’s and Punt’s. But all it takes is one and Henderson usually made something happen with the few chances he got the 2nd half of the season.
Starting Week 2 against Penn State, the offense started to show its power with the jet sweeps, shovel passes and play action. And Henderson started to become one of the main beneficiaries of a strong offensive line and the misdirection used in the play-calling. Even in losses to Oklahoma St. and UNC, the PITT offense continued to grow and that’s when fans began to realize that this year could be something special on the offensive side of the ball.
Fans saw Henderson’s lone receiving touchdown in Week 2 against Penn State, but hey, at least it was a big one. He was the quick pass option and Jester Weah, who we will take a look at later in this series, developed into the deep ball, take the roof off the defense threat that PITT was hoping for.
Henderson’s 2016 regular season receiving numbers included 23 receptions for 241 yards and a touchdown. But, his rushing numbers for a receiving were impressive as he had 60 attempts for 631 yards and 5 touchdowns. Henderson became a weapon on the offensive side of the ball as he could break a big run or change the momentum at any time in a game.
I expect Henderson to be one of the leaders on the 2017 PITT football team and to see him keep growing as a person and a player. He has 2 years of eligibility left and it’s going to be a fun 2 years for PITT fans as they are going to be able to watch someone that can make plays at any given moment.
Expect the draft talk to pick up surrounding Henderson over the next two years as NFL teams love to draft fast, play-makers like him to put back to return punts and to just out run the defense. Right now after two seasons I would have Henderson ranked as at least a 4th round pick, but if he continues to grow at this rate, you can expect him to be a 2nd round, if not a 1st round pick in a few years.
*All Videos Courtesy of PITT LiveWire
