Seantrel Henderson could end up at The U

Will highly-touted offensive lineman Seantrel Henderson wind up playing for the Miami Hurricanes? Time will tell, but this much looks certain – he isn’t headed to USC.

Reports continue spilling out regarding where Henderson will eventually play his college ball. He was reportedly in Miami this past weekend re-visiting the premise of playing for the Canes.

A week ago Lane Kiffin and USC coaches boarded a private jet for Minneapolis – twice – in an effort to lure Henderson back in, but it hasn’t seemed to work. Kiffin has confirmed that he’s “re-recruiting” the top prospect who he originally sold with the belief that USC wasn’t going to get hit heavy with penalties. Months after Signing Day the Trojans received a two-year bowl ban and lost upwards of 31 scholarships over the next few seasons.

Lane’s silver tongue could be the difference- maker here. The fact that Kiffin told Henderson that no major penalties were forthcoming – that evidence will be used in a waiver request to get Southern Cal to let Henderson out of his scholarship. As it stands now, the only way Henderson would be free to leave and play this season is if USC bows out gracefully (or is forced to let him go.) If not, Henderson would have to sit out the standard one-year before transferring to another major program.

Miami fans seem split regarding Henderson’s future. Some welcome the 6-foot-8, 350-pound man child with overly extended open arms. Other have the “we don’t play second fiddle” attitude, feeling too proud to take another’s sloppy seconds.

With offensive line a weak link for the Canes since the 2001 title run, every overly zealous Miami fan needs to put their ‘swagger’ aside should this top prospect choose Coral Gables as his final destination.

Henderson looks that once-in-a-decade type prospect that you give a second chance too. Miami was on his radar and seemed like his legit number two down the stretch (something Ohio State fans disagree with, even though a warm weather climate was a top his college wish list).

Some feel Henderson has a little primadonna in him, based on how the recruiting saga has played out. That said, he’s no Antone Smith, Willie Williams or Bryce Brown – guys the Canes chased down the stretch and sacrificed more to get (with both Smith and Brown making Miami look quite foolish down the stretch, while Williams bailed on a UM program that put out its collective next for him.)

Henderson is one of those immediate impact player – the type of player Miami failed to get during the probation era and the type of player Southern Cal won’t reel in these next few years, needing more versatile, two-way players to make up for the lack of scholarships.

Henderson has become friends with Bryant McKinnie, a two-year Miami lineman who currently plays for the Minnesota Vikings and was the last true Behemoth offensive lineman the college game has seen in recent memory. That combined with the So Cal fallout help bolster all this “Henderson-To-The U” chatter.

If the big guy wants in, let him in. There have been past occurrences where Randy Shannon and Miami turned down a kid who wanted to transfer after a year of playing somewhere else – and I can respect that snub. But not in this case. Not when Signing Day was five months back, not under these circumstances, not when the kid is yet to even show up on the “enemy’s” campus and not when the Canes were 1b to the Trojans’ 1a. (And also not if his father – rumored to be in search of a career in entertainment – might’ve pushed his kid towards Hollywood, CA instead of a city forty miles south of Hollywood, FL.)

With the Canes landing Latwan Anderson and now possibly landing Henderson – two HUGE five-star pick ups – it would seem a lot of apologies would be owed to the UM staff who supposedly didn’t “close strong”. It might also send some recruiting geeks back to their computers to update those Signing Day class rankings.

Nerd stats aside, let’s get Henderson in the orange and green as his presence and Anderson’s would absolutely help the 2010 Canes.

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