RECRUITING WATCH | SEANTREL HENDERSON
Top-ranked prospect won't tip his hand
Thursday, October 22, 2009
By Ken Gordon
THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH
PHOTO (top): Offensive tackle Seantrel Henderson, right, is the nation's No. 1 recruit for 2010. (John Autey, Pioneer Press of St. Paul, Minn.)
Ohio State stands a good chance of landing the nation's top-ranked recruit for the second time in three years, but you won't hear that from the lips of the player.
Seantrel Henderson, a 6-foot-8, 300-pound offensive tackle from St. Paul, Minn., is the consensus top prospect in the country.
That lofty ranking understandably brings with it a level of craziness -- a constant barrage of phone calls, text messages, mail and e-mails -- that has forced Henderson to go underground.
"Don't even bother calling him," said Mike Scanlan, his coach at Cretin-Durham Hall High School. "He's not picking up his phone. Earlier in the year, I tried to set up a system where he would take calls at school, but it started to get in the way of his academics and his football, so we cut that off."
That leaves recruiting analysts, media members and fans trying to read the tea leaves as to Henderson's intentions. He is seriously considering at least six schools -- Florida, Minnesota, Notre Dame, Oklahoma, Ohio State and Southern California.
He has made official visits to OSU (for the USC game) and Notre Dame, and plans to make all five of his allowed official visits before announcing his decision. He does not plan to visit Minnesota, because he already is familiar with the hometown Gophers.
Mike Farrell, a national recruiting analyst for Rivals.com, has been tracking top-rated recruits for years, such as quarterback Terrelle Pryor, the No.1 national prospect in 2008 who committed to OSU. Farrell said the hoopla builds the longer the process drags on.
"It's going to get crazy for (Henderson) in December, when coaches can make in-home visits and there are no limits on phone calls," Farrell said. "Seantrel says nothing, but in some ways, it's better to make yourself available. Seantrel is so hard to reach, sometimes people make it their goal in life to try and get the scoop."
Henderson is ranked No. 1 because of his rare blend of size and athleticism. Farrell said he's not a dominating run blocker at this point, but his background as a standout basketball player has helped him become stellar in pass protection.
"He has amazing footwork with tremendous pass-protection technique, and that's the hardest thing to teach a kid on the offensive line," Farrell said. "That's what makes him so special. Basketball has helped him with footwork, mobility and the ability to move and pivot in space."
Farrell believes Henderson will not choose a college too far from home, and his decision will come down to Minnesota, Notre Dame or OSU.
"I think Ohio State is the team to beat," Farrell said. "Again, he doesn't give up anything, that's just the feel I get from talking to coaches."