Peyton Hendershot Feeling the Best He's Ever Felt Ahead of 2021 Season

After the 2019 season when Indiana played in The Gator Bowl in January, 2020, tight end Peyton Hendershot needed shoulder surgery.

He underwent that procedure in the middle of January. Two weeks later, Hendershot needed another surgery, this time on his ankle.

What started out as a banged-up offseason heading into the 2020 season turned into an unnatural one when the COVID-19 pandemic swept across the nation, keeping all the Hoosiers and everyone else inside.

"I couldn't get really any treatment on my body," Hendershot said Friday. "Coming into the end of last year, it was kind of a 'am I ready to go' type of thing, [and I was] not confident."

The results showed. In 2019, Hendershot caught 52 balls for 622 yards and four touchdowns. His 52 receptions set the single season Indiana tight end record, and he tied for fourth among tight ends nationally in catches and 10th in yardage.

In 2020, albeit a shortened season, Hendershot didn't look the same. He had some dropped passes and caught 23 balls for 151 yards.

A big reason Hendershot believes that's the case is because his body weight, which he admits is something he hadn't quite figured out.

His sophomore year (2019) he was at 265 pounds, and last season he thought he was a little too light at around 240.

"He had foot surgery and he had his shoulder kind of cleaned up and that was right before we went on pause in March," Indiana tight ends coach Kevin Wright said. "By the time he was able to rehab with our guys, it was July. We were originally hoping that we could get him back by mid-August in a perfect world, so I think you look at the fact that he played at 10-12 pounds less, so you don't have the normal body strength that he had probably the year before."

With a normal offseason heading into 2021, Hendershot has put in the work to correct that.

He's around 245-250 right now, and Hendershot said, "I feel probably the best I've ever felt in my life. My speed, my strength, everything."

Wright has noticed Hendershot's improvements throughout fall camp as well. He said last year during the Penn State game, their speed and agility at the line really caught Hendershot off guard, meaning that he would have to put in a lot of work to become a better blocker for the Hoosiers.

"He has had a tremendous camp. Watching him and his development, he has always been able to catch the football and have good ball skills. I think what you will see is one of the better blocking tight ends in the Big Ten," Wright said. "I think that is a byproduct of all the work he has put in this offseason. He is one of our strongest guys on the team in general. Good ball skills, he is stronger, more physical, and he has played like a veteran throughout camp."

Wright believes another key reason Hendershot wasn't as successful in 2020 was because he didn't have a lot of time to build chemistry with quarterback Michael Penix Jr.

Most of Hendershot's success in the 2019 season was with Peyton Ramsey at QB since Penix went down early in the year.

"Those guys have worked really hard all summer, Mike, Peyton, (Ty) Fryfogle, as a unit, so I think that is one reason he is way ahead of where he was this time last year," Wright said.

Hendershot knew it was a big point of emphasis as well, and he thinks the connection with Penix is firing on all cylinders right now.

"It was kind of a big emphasis for us, because last year you could just tell how we were not on the same page," Hendershot said. "Any time we could, me and Mike would go throw and catch. It is kind of like we are vibing it this year because there are times when the play gets busted and somehow me and him are on the same page and he finds me. It is a really good feeling and I feel like we have a really good chemistry coming into this year."

Tight end is one of the most undervalued yet important positions in football.

Hendershot was a huge part of the Hoosiers' success two years ago, and after a tough season last year, he's ready to be a big part of what hopes to be a big season for Indiana football.

"This year we have had a good offseason and I've had probably the best offseason I've ever had," Hendershot said, "and this year is focused on 'I'm ready to go and let's make it a big year.'"