Nevada Football: Last Chance U star Malik Henry to get first start

Star quarterback from the Netflix docu-series Last Chance U, Malik Henry, will get his first Division-I start this weekend when Nevada hosts San Jose State.

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It’s been a long time coming for former five-star recruit turned Florida State Seminole turned Last Chance U favorite/villain Malik Henry, but he’s finally getting his opportunity at the Division-I level. With the right performance, though, Henry could shake all those names and be known simply as, “The starting quarterback for the University of Nevada.”

When the Wolfpack takes the field this Saturday against San Jose State, Henry will be under center. He’s thrown just two passes in 2019, completing both for a total of 21 yards, but his team has fallen to 3-2 on the season. Quarterbacks Carson Strong and Cristian Solano have had more opportunities, but they’ve yet to move the needle for the Wolfpack.

Strong has attempted 134 passes, completing just 59.7 percent of them, and amassed 729 yards. But he hasn’t thrown a touchdown since Week 1 when he managed three; he’s thrown five interceptions since. Solano’s shouldered the load the past two games, throwing 81 times for 441 yards in that span. He’s added two touchdowns through the air, but is a bit turnover prone as well, throwing six picks in just two games.

Now it’s Henry’s turn. Third-year Nevada head coach Jay Norvell announced on Monday that Henry would take over as the starter, complimenting Henry as a football player but also as a person. The Wolfpack offense averaging just 19.8 points per game could also have something to do with it.

Henry was one of the top quarterbacks in the 2016 recruiting class and committed to Florida State before leaving and ending up in Independence, Kansas. There, he was the star player for head coach Jason Brown and become well-known through the Netflix docu-series Last Chance U. He played well during his first season there, INDY: Part 1 on the streaming service, throwing for 1383 yards and 10 touchdowns.

While his on-field play was up-and-down, so was his mood and demeanor. He’s got a brilliant football mind for such a young player, though, and if he’s able to finally put it all together, Nevada might’ve found a player that can lead them through the 2019 season.