Kentucky Football Countdown: No. 50 Darrion Henry-Young

Only 50 more days until the Kentucky football team kicks off the 2022 season. Now halfway through the Kentucky football countdown, today all eyes are on a talented newcomer, No. 50 Darrion Henry-Young.

About Henry-Young

Darrion Henry-Young was one of Vince Marrow’s top targets in the 2020 recruiting class. A four-star prospect at Princeton, the enormous high school right next to I-75 in Cincinnati, he was a top 20 defensive lineman and the No. 126 player overall in the On3 Consensus. Despite making a few trips to Lexington, he could not turn down the chance to play at Ohio State with his high school teammate, OT Paris Johnson Jr., a preseason First Team All-American ahead of the 2022 season.

Darrion Henry-Young Career Highlight

Despite the recruiting accolades, everyone at Ohio State has those. Henry-Young redshirted in 2020 and got buried on the depth chart. He still fought his way onto the field for a few games each year and recorded his first career sack against Nebraska. Seeking a better opportunity to shine, he entered the transfer portal this offseason and reconnected with Vince Marrow, who found a spot for the Ohio native at the University of Kentucky.

2022 Forecast

Henry-Young checked in this January at 6-foot-4, 255 pounds. He has the explosiveness Kentucky needs from a pass rusher at defensive in the 3-4, however, he’ll need a few more quality pounds to withstand the physicality of the Southeastern Conference. Tre’vonn Rybka will get his number called first to fill in for Josh Paschal. He has about 40-50 more pounds to take the wear and tear in the trenches.

The Wildcats had 29 sacks in 2021 to finish ninth in the SEC. That’s not good enough. A healthy JJ Weaver and Jordan Wright can certainly change that, but they can’t do it alone. Anwar Stewart’s three-down defensive line must be able to produce a natural pass rush. If the Kentucky defense can force its opponents into obvious passing situations, it’s Octavious Oxendine and Henry-Young’s time to shine. The Ohio State transfer has a ton of juice. He just needs opportunities to pin his ears back to hunt opposing quarterbacks.