As a sophomore at Saint Francis University, Ra’Shaun Henry played in 10 games, caught eight passes—he had 11 the year before—for 107 yards and one touchdown. That’s why if you ask the Killen (TX) native what got into him last fall, he can’t really stifle the laugh.

“It’s pretty crazy, right?” he told CavsCorner recently in reference to an unreal junior campaign: 90 catches for 1,118 yards and nine scores in 12 games.

“I would have to say it’s my past coaches, honestly,” he said, “Coach (Marco) Pecora and Coach V (HC Chris Villarrial). Coach Pecora, he really knows his players and really knows how to get his players the ball. He knows his weapons on the field. Him knowing that and doing that, it just put me in that position to be on the field to make the plays and do what I do.”

Now, after a short stint in the transfer portal, the 6-foot-3, 195-pound grad transfer is headed to Charlottesville as he leaves SFU for a new path.

“I’ve just got to thank God, honestly, because this whole process was pretty easy,” Henry said. “It was smooth. It was better than I thought, honestly. And I’m just really thankful.”

The opportunity to become a Wahoo and play for Bronco Mendenhall and WRs coach Marques Hagans came about because the Texas native wanted to try to play a little closer to home for his final year of eligibility. But once he began working the process, the chance to play at UVa really caught his attention.

“To be honest, my focus at first was on coming back down south, towards Texas,” he explained. “But I didn’t really get the interest there that I got other places. So I started looking at those opportunities and looking at what was the best for me. Virginia and the coaching staff, Coach Mendenhall and Coach Hagans, they really made me a priority. They were talking to me every day and I really felt that love. Ultimately, it was a really easy decision for me.”

It certainly didn’t take UVa long to not only find Henry but to make sure he knew how wanted he was.

“I think it was that first day when I heard from some of the coaches from the staff,” he recalled. “They followed me on Twitter and then I started to notice as the days and weeks progressed that they were always there for me. Coach Hagans would get on Zoom calls with me and we’d go over film and talk about the school and stuff like that. So, yeah, I was like ‘This has to be the place for me.’”

Henry, who comes to UVa with a degree in business management, said that Hagans was a big reason why he felt so comfortable choosing Virginia despite never having visited Charlottesville.

“He’s a guy who has played there, played in the league, and he’s a family man,” Henry said. “He’s a big family guy, and that was really important for me. He really cares about his receivers and he does a great job of showing that. The mentality in that receivers room, that’s something I’m excited to be a part of.”

During the roughly three weeks that he was in the portal, Henry heard from a variety of schools.

“I was also seriously considering Virginia Tech, East Carolina, and Rutgers,” he said.

So how would he compare the offenses he played in as a Red Flash to the one he’ll play in this fall as a Cavalier?

“I feel like it’s going to fit me ever better,” he said. “It’s going to be a lot of the same kinds of things, passing the ball a lot and getting guys in space. I thought it was pretty clear that it was the right fit for me.”

Asked about the chance to play in the ACC, Henry lit up talking about what’s in front of him.

“I’m grateful for the opportunity,” he said. “I just feel like there’s a lot of small-school guys that can compete with anybody, with any level or any school. Whether it’s FBS or FCS, there are good players everywhere. I’m just taking it all in and grateful for the opportunity ahead of me.”

In terms of fit, what Hagans sees for him is pretty varied which excites Henry based on his experience in 2019.

“It’s crazy,” he said. “That was my first year ever playing in the slot. I consider myself an outside receiver but I can move anywhere on the field. I was inside the whole time last year and as the season went on I started moving outside some as well.”

The fact that, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, he wasn’t able to take visits didn’t seem to have any impact on his interest level in UVa and his comfort level in choosing the program.

“To be honest, I think Coach Hagans said it best that people lie but numbers don’t,” he said. “So, that played a huge part in it for me. You can look at the numbers and what they put up last year. It’s just something that I’m happy to be a part of.

“I just felt like if it was family and the situation was right then it was going to be the right fit for me,” Henry added. “If it’s a culture I want to be a part of, then I want to be a part of it no matter what.”

Though he doesn’t have any true connections to UVa, he does have family in the Commonwealth.

“Well, not really to the staff or school but as far as family wise, I have a brother that lives there, about an hour away from the school,” Henry said. “He just got back from the military, so that’s pretty cool.”

As far as training, he’s in a better spot that some during the pandemic.

“For a couple of weeks when this thing first started, we were in my friend’s garage working out, lifting some weights,” he said. “But we’ve found a local guy who has a little gym that we can go to every day. But my focus right now really is on my speed and being explosive. I’ve been doing hills about two or three times a week. That’s really something I’ve been focusing on.”

As he continues to prepare for what’s ahead, there’s no doubt that he’s got a very clear idea of what it will take.

“I believe that my job is to go in there and work,” Henry said. “Just compete, try to find where I can fit. I know there are opportunities there. I’ve just got to go in there and work and get that done.”

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