UW Fresh Start (No. 47): Time for Peyton Henry to Put Best Foot Forward
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Peyton Henry has appeared in more University of Washington football games than any other player on the roster, all 43 outings held over the past four seasons.
He's experienced, tested and still fairly rested.
Yet this fifth-year senior from Danville, California, has much to prove as a place-kicker, a great deal more to accomplish with his left foot, especially in convincing the pros he should take a next step.
Henry has not yet converted a 50-yard field goal, nowadays a staple for the modern-day booter with NFL aspirations, missing the only one he's attempted in his career last fall against Montana.
He hasn't demonstrated himself to be automatic from 40 yards and longer either, again another pro football prerequisite, after converting just 4 of 12 so far.
Henry is still looking for a game-winning kick, too, after failing to put Oregon away at the end of regulation in 2018 and having California trump his 49-yarder with 2:05 left with one of its own from 17 with eight seconds remaining for a 19-17 victory in 2019.
Originally a walk-on player, he's been fairly responsible on fourth down for a long time now for the Huskies from shorter distances. However, it's time for him to be a difference-maker, to show some growth, to show a lot more length.
Less than a month until spring practice, we're offering intel and observations gathered on the UW football personnel in a series of stories on every scholarship player from No. 0 to 99. We'll review each Husky's previous starting experience, if applicable, and determine what comes next under new coach Kalen DeBoer.
As is the case with any coaching change, it's a new football beginning for everyone, including the Huskies' No. 47.
Henry enters the upcoming season having made 52 of 66 field-goal attempts, or 78.7 percent.
He's converted 101 of 103 extra-point kicks, his only misses not necessary of his own doing. Washington State blocked an attempt in 2018, Stanford another in 2020.
Henry was accurate enough to relegate the Huskies' other scholarship kicker, Tim Horn, to kickoff duty only, to the point in which Horn finally turned impatient and transferred to Rice.
He's been good enough off the tee — 19-for-21 on field goals and a perfect 49 of 49 on conversion kicks in 2019 — to be selected second-team All-Pac-12.
That was three seasons ago. It's time to return to that form, to be better than that, to take another step forward.
UW Starter or Not: Henry is the No. 1 kicker for a fifth season, that's a given. Only walk-ons back him up. While he's done the job responsibly for a long time, Henry needs to market himself as a kicker with NFL potential, as someone who should be paid to do this for a living. Maybe he can beat Oregon this year, too.
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