Virginia Tech Class of 2018 Prospect Profile: KJ Henry

By: Ricky LaBlue |
Virginia Tech recruiting KJ Henry
Henry is one of the highest rated targets for Virginia Tech in the Class of 2018. (Picture via @ywd_ballislife on Twitter)

Now that Virginia Tech has finished up their Class of 2017, the Hokies can now turn their focus on next year’s targets. Over the next month or so, we’ll take a look at some of the Hokies’ biggest targets for the Class of 2018. First on the list is 5-star defensive end KJ Henry.

Henry has already been recruited and offered by several elite programs. He’s rated as the 20th-best player in the country by the 247Sports Composite and has 26 scholarship offers. Of those 26 offers, 23 are from Power 5 programs.

Henry plays for West Forsyth High School in Clemmons, NC., which is just outside Winston-Salem. In fact, West Forsyth is just two hours away from Blacksburg. This area, along with the greater Charlotte area, are two regions the Virginia Tech staff will continue to recruit from in order to grow the Hokies’ talent base.

There’s a reason Henry is rated as a 5-star prospect. At 6-foot-5 and 217-pounds, he has elite-level athleticism for a defensive end. His speed and agility allow him to run sideline to sideline and make plays from the back side. He’s very well-coordinated and also plays receiver. He’s a unique blend of size and athleticism and with a year in a college weight room, he could easily be 240-pounds. That would make him a perfect fit in Virginia Tech’s defensive scheme.

With that said, Virginia Tech is currently on a long list of suitors for Henry and at the moment, it doesn’t look like they’re very high on that list. Currently, Clemson looks like the favorite with Alabama and Ohio State not far behind. However, Virginia Tech was one of Henry’s early offers and if the Hokies can bring him on campus during the season, you never know. He’s already visited the campus at least twice before.

Henry is by no means the only defensive end target for Virginia Tech in the Class of 2018. The Hokies are also pursuing guys like Brenton Cox, John Morgan and Andrew Leota. Morgan could play either defensive end or tight end for the Hokies.

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6 Responses You are logged in as Test

  1. Looks like another 5 Star Recruit that probably won’t give the Hokies the ‘time of day’ ???

    1. Wouldn’t say that just yet. We’ll see how his recruitment goes through this summer.

  2. Ricky,

    nice article about KJ Henry; plenty athletic and looks like he has some wing span to go with that height and speed rush.

    ot: how about all the VT recruited walk-ons, grey shirts and FUMA prep-types that did not show up as scholarship recruits on NSD. once that list is solidified, any chance of an article about them? and if they have any videos, could you link us if you’re not able to include it inside the article?

    “thanks” in advance.

  3. Ricky / CC,

    I see the kid’s a 5-star, but TBH his film at DE doesn’t look as impressive to me as perhaps him at TE/WR for us. He’s a natural catcher from what I can tell and high-points the ball. He doesn’t seem that quick off the line / shedding blocks at DE. Thoughts?

    1. It’s hard to judge solely based on highlight film. I think he could do both. I think his elite-level athleticism would make him a dangerous DE. I also think his large frame makes him a receiving candidate. I’d love to get a full set of film on him.

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