Seantrel Henderson (Buffalo Bills)

[wadc45]

Seantrel Henderson makes it official and signs with USC Trojans - ESPN

 

[BB73]

Per Joe Schad (via Twitter), who says he got the info from Coach Tim Brewster, Minnesota is self-reporting a secondary violation involving their recruitment of Henderson. No details of the violation were given.

 

[Buckskin86]

DON'T PRINT THAT

Pssst: When heralded football signee Seantrel Henderson out of Cretin-Derham Hall didn't show up as scheduled last week for orientation at the University of Southern California, new coach Lane Kiffin, recruiting coordinator Ed Orgeron, offensive line coach James Cregg and defensive coordinator Monte Kiffin took a private jet to the Twin Cities on Monday to make sure the giant-sized left tackle still was committed to the Trojans.

In the wake of NCAA penalties to USC that include no bowl appearances for the next two seasons, as well as the loss of 30 scholarships over the next three years, there has been conjecture that Henderson has reconsidered his commitment to USC and that Miami and Ohio State could be back in the hunt.

Henderson played about a half of a basketball game in the Howard Pulley league Tuesday night. Henderson, who is 6-foot-8, said he's up to 350 pounds. He refused to discuss his status with USC.

Reached earlier Tuesday, Henderson's father, Sean, had no comment.

Charley Walters: Trevor Mbakwe hasn't given up on playing for Gophers - TwinCities.com

 

[Hubbard]

I highly doubt OSU would take him now.

 

[wadc45]

http://www.twincities.com/sports/ci_15358152?nclick_check=1

DON'T PRINT THAT

The Seantrel Henderson recruiting drama continues to be bizarre. The 6-foot-8 offensive tackle from Cretin-Derham Hall played in a basketball game in the Howard Pulley pro-am league Tuesday night rather than report to the University of Southern California last week, as was planned.

Henderson, who said he's up to 350 pounds (and appears to weigh at least that much), was surprisingly light on his feet getting up and down the floor and showed a nice touch with the ball. But he's clearly playing basketball for fun. He is, though, a football player who will have to lose weight wherever he ends up playing.

USC coach Lane Kiffin and three members of his staff took a private jet to the Twin Cities on Monday to try to persuade Henderson to keep his commitment to the NCAA-penalized school. When asked about USC on Tuesday night, Henderson was in no mood to discuss his status.

It's beginning to look like Henderson, understandably, could be having second thoughts about Kiffin and USC, which cannot play in bowl games the next two seasons while losing 30 scholarships over the next three years.

A little birdie says Henderson was assured by Kiffin during the recruiting process that USC would not receive any serious penalties from the NCAA.

Miami and Ohio State were Henderson's other finalists before USC was so harshly penalized. The problem for Henderson, though, is that he signed with the Trojans, and he would have to sit out a transfer year if he does not follow through with his commitment.

The guess here is that Kiffin's jet ride back to California wasn't a comfortable one.

OVERHEARD

Henderson, asked about his status with USC: "I don't want to talk about that."

 

[wadc45]

The Seantrel Henderson Sweepstakes - the drama continues for the USC Trojans - The Daily Gopher

by GopherNation on Jun 30, 2010 4:02 PM CDT

Reportedly, Seantrel Henderson wants out of his Letter of Intent to play football for Lane Kiffin and his USC Trojans. Last week Kiffin, the elder Kiffin, recruiting whiz Ed Orgeron, offensive line coach James Cregg and maybe even Will Farrell and Snoop (though that is unconfirmed and highly unlikely) took a jet to the Twin Cities when Seantrel failed to show up for USC orientation. The damage control committee returned this week to make a second pitch to the nation's #1 incoming offensive lineman.

Those are facts, now comes the speculation.

I think it is safe to assume that the Henderson's are upset about the NCAA sanctions and it appears as though they feel duped by the Kiffin regime when told that the NCAA sanctions would not be too severe. Now Henderson wants out and desires to play football for a school that will be allowed to play in a bowl game. To do that he'll need to be released from his letter of intent. Supposedly, that isn't going to happen anytime soon.

Making matters more difficult is that sources say the USC coaches planned to tell Henderson that they wouldn't release him from his Letter of Intent. That could prove to be an issue for both sides; a person close to the situation summed things up perfectly: if Seantrel were really interested in playing for USC then he would already be in LA instead of spending his summer playing basketball around the Twin Cities.

It seems fiarly obvious that Henderson will not be a Trojan this fall. The USC staff can prevent him from playing somewhere else this fall but that doesn't mean he'll be in uniform. The relationship seems to have soured. Where he will end up and when he'll be able to actually play are the next obvious questions that will need to be answered.

What is very interesting is that the Kiffin-Orgeron dynamo has landed the nation's #1 recruit two years in a row and it looks like they'll be 0-2 when it comes to getting that player on the field.

When it comes to Henderson's next destination, I don't think Gopher fans shouldn't get their hopes up. It seemed pretty clear that Minnesota was not Henderson's second choice and it is also not clear if the Gophers can even accept Henderson after self-reporting minor recruiting violations surrounding his recruitment.

 

[wadc45]

Lane Kiffin confident USC can re-recruit Seantrel Henderson - TwinCities.com

By Gary Klein
Los Angeles Times
Updated: 07/01/2010 11:56:15 PM CDT

LOS ANGELES - Seantrel Henderson, the nation's biggest - and by many ratings the best - major college football recruit, didn't show up for summer school classes at the University of Southern California this week.

Instead, the former Cretin-Derham Hall star remained at home in Minnesota, igniting renewed speculation that he might ask to be released from his scholarship and prompting Trojans coaches to make their second trip to see him in just the last few weeks.

Henderson, a 6-foot-8 offensive tackle who weighs in at well over 300 pounds, is vacillating about his decision and perhaps considering playing for Miami or Ohio State, according to reports, though neither he nor his father has been quoted saying much more than no comment.

On Thursday, coach Lane Kiffin described how USC was having to "basically re-recruit" Henderson but expressed confidence the player would eventually join the Trojans.

Continued...

"It's unfortunate because being a big guy and a lineman, the offseason workout is so critical for this guy," Kiffin said. "When we saw him he was 355 pounds, so unfortunately for him he's not only missing out on academics but missing out on preparing himself to play."

"I hope in the end Seantrel sees what every other freshman in this class has ... that one or two games isn't why you choose a university," Kiffin said. "They didn't come to SC because of a bowl game the first or second year. They came here because of the education; they came here because of the football program."

 

[wadc45]

The above article is from 6/30...here is Charley Waters' update from 6/29:

Charley Walters: Tigers manager Jim Leyland likes Twins' lefty bats - TwinCities.com

Latest word is that Cretin-Derham Hall grad Seantrel Henderson, who was assured by new Southern California football coach Lane Kiffin during recruitment that USC would not receive serious NCAA penalties, is balking at his commitment and now leaning toward Miami, even though he would have to sit out a transfer season.

 

[jwinslow]

USC Trojans release recruit Seantrel Henderson from letter of intent - ESPN Los Angeles

Updated: July 6, 2010, 4:14 PM ET

By Joe Schad

USC is releasing offensive tackle recruit Seantrel Henderson from his national letter of intent, coach Lane Kiffin said Tuesday.

...

Kiffin could have kept Henderson bound to his national letter, requiring him to either report or enroll elsewhere and pay his own way for a year before being eligible in 2011. Instead, Kiffin and USC are essentially allowing Henderson to enroll at any school immediately and be eligible to play as early as this season.

USC is still hopeful that Henderson will decide to enroll at USC.

"We are releasing Seantrel Henderson out of his national letter of intent with zero penalties and no restrictions. Seantrel has been great through the whole process and we wish him the best of luck with his decision," Kiffin said.

USC could have limited the other schools Henderson could pursue, such as eliminating schools within the Pac-10 or schools USC will face in the next few seasons. Instead, Kiffin took the approach that he wanted players on campus who know they want to be Trojans.

 

[wadc45]

Scout.com: USC Releases Henderson from LOI

By Dan Greenspan
SCPlaybook.com
Posted Jul 6, 2010

USC has released top recruit Seantrel Henderson from his letter of intent, Coach Lane Kiffin said Tuesday. Without the release, Henderson would have been forced to sit out one season to transfer to another program.

Continued...

 

[osugrad21]

Really...don't take this as anything more than us being the usual BP thorough. If we knew anything, it would be in the Mill.

AJC

2. Speaking of USC, the Trojans have encountered a lot of comings and goings of late. On Monday, they got a commitment from 2011 linebacker recruit Kent Turene of Lauderdale Lakes, Fla. On Tuesday, they released Seantrel Henderson from the national letter-of-intent he signed in March. Many felt Henderson, a 6-foot-8, 330-pound offensive lineman from Minnesota, was the top overall prospect in the Class of 2010. Henderson reportedly will end up at Miami or Ohio State, but nobody knows for sure because he?s not talking.

 

[BB73]

Seantrel has chosen Miami and is expected to show up there on August 3rd. He could see the field during their visit to the 'Shoe on Sept 11th.

BN.free

 

[MililaniBuckeye]

Seantrel has chosen Miami and is expected to show up there on August 3rd. He could see the field during their visit to the 'Shoe on Sept 11th.

He'll see it because Cam will stomp his face into it...

 

[CleveBucks]

Dispatch link

Miami Hurricanes offensive lineman Seantrel Henderson is rumored to be transferring to Minnesota for family reasons, according to the St. Paul Pioneer Press' Charley Walters.

 

[BB73]

Reports out of Miami are that Seantrel is undergoing back surgery next Monday, and might miss the entire 2011 season.

Best wishes to Seantrel in his recovery and for his future in football.

Sun.Sentinel.blog

Henderson to undergo back surgery

CORAL GABLES - Miami Hurricanes offensive tackle Seantrel Henderson will undergo back surgery Aug. 8 and it's uncertain when he?ll return, a source said Tuesday.

Henderson has been dealing with back problems since spring practice - he missed the spring game - and Coach Al Golden told reporters at ACC Football Kickoff last week that Henderson could miss the first week to 10 days of training camp, which will start Saturday.

Cont'd ...