2021 Countdown to Kickoff: 86 Days (Peyton Hendershot)

Written by: Sammy Jacobs (@Hoosier_Huddle)

The 2021 Countdown to Kickoff is two weeks old and we are getting closer to summer time. Today’s featured Hoosier is tight end Peyton Hendershot. The Hoosiers will open the 2021 season with a Big Ten opponent in the Hawkeyes of Iowa.

Name: Peyton Hendershot

Hometown: North Salem, IN

Position: Tight End

Year: Redshirt Senior

Height/Weight: 6’4”/250 pounds

Peyton Hendershot is back for his fifth year and to some it may have been a surprise. After a record setting 2019 season, Hendershot could have been on NFL Draft radars with another productive season on the field. However, drops and inconsistent play have him back and Hoosier fans should be excited as Hendershot is one of the best tight ends in the Big Ten.

Hendershot broke out in 2019 playing in all 13 games and making a school record 52 catches for 622 yards at the tight end position. He earned third-team All Big-Ten honors and was a huge key to the Hoosiers 8-5 season.

An off the field incident in February of 2020 was the start of a down season for Hendershot. Although he still earned third-team All-Big Ten honors again, there was too many missed opportunities for the junior. Early in the season, he struggled with drops, some of which were on wide open passes. It had to wear on his mind. Hendershot still finished with 23 catches for 151 yards and four touchdowns, so it was not a total loss of a season.

Hendershot had a solid spring practice as he made IU’s list of top conditioning performers and a bounce back season would be huge for him and the Hoosiers. Hendershot’s name is written in Sharpie in the starting lineup. If he can put together a campaign like he did in 2019, maybe even a little better, he could be in the running for all kinds of awards and will have his name called in the 2022 draft.