BYU offers Nease senior Dom Henry - Florida's leading high school receiver
The leading receiver in Florida high school football is no longer a relative recruiting unknown.
Nease senior Dom Henry, who caught 81 passes for 1,590 yards and 13 touchdowns as the Panthers reached the Region 1-7A final this fall, picked up an offer from Big 12-bound BYU on Thursday morning.
"It definitely excited me to finally get some recognition," Henry said. "It was a surreal experience. It was hard to believe that something like this would come so late, but I was so happy in the moment."
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Henry finished second in voting for the Class 7A Player of the Year, only to Lake Gibson running back Jaylon Glover, who was later named Mr. Football by the Florida Dairy Farmers.
BYU's interest in the 5-foot-11, 180-pound speedster sparked from a conversation at a coaches' convention earlier this month in San Antonio between Nease head coach Collin Drafts and defensive graduate assistant Kyle Griffitts, a former player of his at West Orange.
As they caught up, Drafts mentioned that Henry was still looking for a home. The Cougars' staff turned on his film and were blown away.
"They weren't even looking for a receiver in the 2022 class," Drafts said. "It's pretty neat for Dom. That's a big-time program. We're shocked that he does not have more Power Five offers to this point, but that's just how it goes."
The Cougars boast the No. 54 recruiting class in the nation, per 247Sports. Two of their top three commits are wide receivers, including four-star Utah prospect Cody Hagen.
Fesi Sitake, BYU's passing game coordinator and receivers coach, made the cross-country flight and met Henry for an after-school workout and an in-home visit. Upon picking up the BYU offer, 247Sports bumped He up to a three-star recruit and the No. 156 overall prospect in Florida.
"He's a really nice guy, very genuine. My parents and I loved what he had to say," Henry said.
BYU ended the year ranked 19th in The Associated Press' poll with a 10-3 record. The Cougars, currently a Division I FBS independent, will complete a move into the Big 12 Conference ahead of the 2023 season.
Henry took an official visit to Army West Point this past weekend. He has since lined up trips to Air Force and BYU before National Signing Day on Feb. 2.
A crucial player in Nease's remarkable turnaround, Henry scored in all three of the team's playoff games. The Panthers, who had won two games combined the previous two seasons, advanced beyond the first round for the first time since 2008.
"It was a perfect ending," Henry said. "One thing that was most special to me was the brotherhood with all the other seniors, about 30 of them. We'd all gone through the struggles of having been 1-9, and we decided that we wanted to make a change."
This article originally appeared on St. Augustine Record: Football recruiting: BYU offers Florida's leading receiver Dom Henry
