Kansas Football Returner Emmanuel Henderson Jr. Earns Big 12 Special Teams Honors

KU’s Emmanuel Henderson Jr. has established himself as one of the best kick returners in all of college football this year.

Jay Biggerstaff-Imagn Images

Kansas football wide receiver Emmanuel Henderson Jr. was named Big 12 Special Teams Player of the Week on Monday following his stellar performance against West Virginia that resulted in a 41-10 blowout win for the Jayhawks this past weekend.

It’s the first Big 12 award for Henderson as a Jayhawk and the first Big 12 Special Teams Player of the Week award for a KU player since former wide receiver Trevor Wilson won it in October 2023.

Henderson finished the game against the Mountaineers with 137 yards on two kick returns – one of which was a 94-yard touchdown score on the opening kickoff of the second half which gave the Jayhawks a commanding 27-3 lead.

“Emmanuel’s kick return was definitely a huge turning point in the game,” Kansas head coach Lance Leipold said after the game. “Put that with the field goal right before the half, I think it really kind of made a statement there for us.”

That's how ya start the second half 🔥

94-yard kickoff return by @emmanuelhende17 👏 pic.twitter.com/2NPA2HY2nn

— Kansas Football (@KU_Football) September 21, 2025

It was the first kick return for a touchdown to open a game or half for the Jayhawks since Greg Heaggans accomplished the feat on Sept. 14, 2002, against Southwest Missouri State.

Henderson also added 38 yards receiving on six catches in the game – giving him 175 yards of total production between offense and special teams. That eclipses the 130 total yards he had in an impressive showing against Wagner earlier this season, making it arguably his best game yet in a Kansas uniform.

In just four games this season, Henderson has compiled 214 yards on six returns. That’s good for an average of 35.7 yards per return, which is currently sixth best in all of college football (FBS).

Henderson flashed his potential of being a good returner at Alabama where he spent the first three years of his college career, but he’s taken it to another level at KU. That’s a credit to him and the rest of the special teams players who are helping pave the way for his success this season.

Special teams has rarely been a strength for this Kansas football program; in fact, it’s more often been a deficit. But if Henderson is able to continue this level of production as the Jayhawks enter the thicker stretch of Big 12 play coming up, that will be a huge advantage for KU as they take on tougher opponents.

Henderson and the Jayhawks will look to continue their winning ways when they welcome the Cincinnati Bearcats to Lawrence on Saturday for an 11 a.m. CT kickoff.