A talented and versatile running back from the Tar Heel State will be back in Tiger Town this weekend.
Charlotte (N.C.) Christian School’s Ryan Henley plans to attend Clemson’s home opener against Furman on Saturday.
“Looking forward to getting down there!” he told The Clemson Insider.
Henley, a prospect in the class of 2024, was previously on campus when he worked out at the Dabo Swinney Camp on June 2. He first caught the eye of Clemson running backs coach C.J. Spiller at the Swinney Camp in the summer of 2021, and according to Henley, Spiller was even more impressed by his camp performance this summer.
Henley told TCI that Spiller reached out to him on Sept. 1, the first day college coaches were allowed to directly contact junior prospects, and he also heard from other members of Clemson’s staff including offensive coordinator/quarterbacks coach Brandon Streeter, passing game coordinator/tight ends coach Kyle Richardson and director of recruiting strategy Ty Clements.
“It was really encouraging seeing that they have that type of interest,” Henley said. “Hoping to continue to build a relationship with the coaches and head in a positive direction.”
Along with Clemson, schools such as South Carolina, Duke, Virginia, UConn and Northwestern have shown interest in Henley, who rushed for more than 800 yards, averaged 8.1 yards per carry and racked up 900-plus all-purpose yards as a sophomore last season.
In the first game of his junior campaign this year, Henley totaled 130 all-purpose yards and a touchdown. Then, in his team’s second game, he filled in at slot receiver due to injuries and made a big impact while accounting for 98 yards and two touchdowns.
As he goes through the season, that type of versatility is among the things Henley hopes to show college coaches he can bring to the table at the next level.
“Really just showing them I’m extremely versatile, being able to play a lot of that slot as well as running back,” he said. “Right now, really just been patient with it all and focused on doing what’s right for the team, and I feel like the individual accolades and all that will take care of itself as long as I keep the team success as my main priority.
“Diving deeper into my game, I’m hoping to show that my speed is better in making those second-level defenders miss. I’m really hoping to show that’s a lot better and improved from last year. I think that’s kind of what lacked a little bit last year, and I had some missed opportunities that I really wish I could’ve capitalized on. I learned a lot and I grew a lot as a football player last year, so I think I’m improving a lot there.”
Henley tries to model his game after a fellow Charlotte-area native in Clemson sophomore running back Will Shipley. The two have a good relationship and have worked out together on several occasions.
Henley looks forward to watching Shipley this season and seeing how he follows up his freshman season in 2021, when he led the Tigers with 738 rushing yards and 11 rushing touchdowns despite missing three games with a leg injury.
“I’m really excited to see what he does this year, for sure. I think it’ll be really interesting,” Henley said. “I think that injuries kind of got in the way of his success and all of that, but knowing him and knowing how he demands excellence and expects a lot of himself, I’m really excited to see what he’s going to do.”
Thanks for showing love!! 💜🧡@ClemsonFB @CJSPILLER @CoachStreeter @coachkr10 @charchristfb pic.twitter.com/LmtceeA316
— Ryan Henley (@ryanhenley_) September 1, 2022
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