BOWLING GREEN, Ky. – WKU Football wide receiver Matthew Henry has accepted an invitation to the 2026 Hula Bowl.
Henry will compete alongside 120 of the top senior college football players selected to play in the event, which will take place on Saturday, Jan. 10, 2026, at 11 a.m. CT at Spec Martin Memorial Stadium in Deland, Florida.
The Hula Bowl is the nation's longest-running college football all-star game dedicated to seniors. The 2026 Hula Bowl will be the 80th anniversary of the event in which college football seniors can perform in front of professional scouts and interview one-on-one with teams.
Henry led the Hilltoppers in receiving yards and receiving touchdowns this season, while also finishing second on the team in receptions. He caught 55 passes for 888 yards and six touchdowns. Henry finished first in CUSA in receiving yards per game with 68.3 and ninth in receptions per game with 4.23, and he was one of five players in CUSA with at least three 100-yard receiving games. Henry also recorded a 48-yard touchdown on a kickoff return, and was one of four different players in the league to return a kickoff for a touchdown this season. He was named All-CUSA Second Team by the league's head coaches and Phil Steele.
Henry joined the Hilltoppers after one productive season at Western Illinois. He appeared in 12 games with the Leathernecks and led the team in receiving with 1,211 yards and six touchdowns on 64 catches. He ranked first in the Big South-OVC in receiving yards per game, first in receiving yards, sixth in receptions per game, fourth in all-purpose yards, third in yards per catch and seventh in total receptions. He ranked fifth nationally in receiving yards and receiving yards per game and 12th in yards per reception. Henry was named an FCS Football All-America Third Team member and he was an Associated Press All-America Team Honorable Mention selection. He was a 2024 Big South-OVC Football Association All-Conference First Team Offense honoree. He spent the previous three seasons at Division II Livingstone College, where he appeared in 15 games and caught 66 passes for 840 yards and eight touchdowns.
In addition to Henry, punter Cole Maynard accepted an invitation to the 2026 American Bowl.
WKU Football 2026 season tickets are on sale now! Season tickets start as low as $50, and there are several options for different season ticket levels. For more information or to purchase 2026 WKU Football season tickets, click HERE. Are you interested in purchasing 2026 WKU Football tickets but don't know where to start? Fill out this form and a member of the WKU Ticket Office will be in touch soon! All season tickets require an HAF donation. A full 2026 schedule will be released at a later date.
For all the latest on WKU Football, follow @WKUFootball on Twitter and Instagram, and like the WKU Football Facebook page.
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