Under the Friday night lights in December 2020, a prep career concluded with an undefeated season and a state championship in Texas Class 5A, where everything is bigger and football is king. The next day, quarterback Seth Henigan loaded up his car and drove to the land of great-tasting barbecue and Beale Street, arriving at the University of Memphis to enroll early.
True Freshman Starter at Quarterback
Making the most of his opportunity, Henigan worked his way up from the bowels of depth chart hell with hard work and the unfortunate injury to another member of the Tigers quarterback room. When Memphis took the field for the season opener in 2021 vs. Nicholls State, Henigan was under center as a true freshman.
And he did not disappoint.
Against the Colonels, Henigan passed for 265 yards and a touchdown in a 42-17 win. The next week against Arkansas State, Henigan torched the Red Wolves for 417 yards and 5 touchdowns. From that point on, Henigan never looked back. Henigan earned a spot on the Football Writers Association of America (FWAA) All-Freshman Team after that 2021 season.
Liberty Bowl MVP
Last season, Henigan passed for 3,883 yards, 32 touchdowns and only 9 INTs, earning second-team All-American Athletic Conference honors. Henigan ranked in the top 10 in the following categories:
No. 4 in passing yards
No. 6 in passing attempts with 476
No. 6 in completions with 318
No. 6 in passing touchdowns
Henigan quarterbacked the No. 1 offense in the AAC, throwing for 19 touchdowns and only 2 INTs over his final seven games. Under Henigan’s leadership on the field, the Tigers rolled to a 10-3 record and a berth in the Liberty Bowl, a home game for the Tigers.
Memphis made the most of the home-field advantage, beating Iowa State 36-26. Henigan was 24-of-34 passing (70 percent) for 364 yards and accounted for 5 total touchdowns in the victory. For his effort, Henigan was named the game’s MVP.
2024 Senior Season
Coming into his senior season, Henigan has 23 wins under his belt as the starter for the Tigers. Henigan is the career passing leader at Memphis with 10,764 yards and has completed 64 percent of his passes. He is third on the school’s list in touchdown passes with 79 and should take over the No. 1 spot in that category by the end of the season. Henigan will operate behind an experienced offensive line that returns four starters, including all-AAC guard Xavier Hill.
The Tigers will have 10 offensive starters in total back from last year’s team, and Henigan will have three of his favorite targets to throw to, led by WR Roc Taylor. Taylor returns after catching 69 of Henigan’s passes for 1,083 yards and 4 touchdowns, leading the team in receptions and yards, and posted six games of more than 100 yards receiving.
Henigan's Work Ethic
The son of a football coach who wore No. 9 in high school to honor his dad, Henigan learned at an early age the hard work required to be successful at the most important position on the field. That work ethic has shined like a beacon as Henigan turned the heads of his coaches and played like a seasoned veteran from the beginning.
It is easy to see why Henigan is among the best quarterbacks in college football, and why the Memphis Tigers could be the Group of 5 representative in the college football playoff.
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