Eli Henderson has played every position along the offensive line for Duncan (S.C.) Byrnes High, save for center. As the 2022 prospect enters his junior year, that is set to change.
“I'm moving to center this year for my team,” Henderson told Sun Devil Source. “We're going to be working a lot of inside-zone this year with me in the interior, but I figured out that I really do like center. I really do like the interior. I can play anything and I prefer to play what coach wants me to play. I want to be a Swiss Army knife guy, but at the same time, I do like the interior. And I do feel like center is where I could really make my money (in the NFL). There's not a lot of 6-foot-4 centers out there in the nation.”
That versatility is what Henderson said separates him from others at his position. To this point, he has attracted the attention of three programs, with Arizona State joining Arkansas and Georgia as his three reported scholarship offers. The Sun Devils were the latest to do so, offering on Friday.
“It really felt like a huge weight being lifted,” Henderson said. “You put in so much effort, you work so much — I mean this whole quarantine I've been in my garage lifting weights twice a day for hours on hours and just waiting. As an athlete, you always look at everybody else and you're trying to get everything, but it was a huge weight lifted off of me and it was a little bit of relief when I got that news. It was really emotional.”
Henderson said he had a 45-minute phone call with ASU graduate assistant Adam Breneman where “he basically told me that they really liked me and they usually don’t come out east that far for guys much, but he said I'm a good player and everything and we want you.” Shortly after, Henderson said he was instructed by Breneman to call analyst Kevin Mawae.
“I started to tear up a little bit,” Henderson said. “I knew they liked me because my trainer told me he talked with them about me and everything and that they liked me a lot. And they wanted to start talking to me. I was figuring that they were going to say, 'We like you and we'll keep in touch' and all that good stuff. But it was a little bit of a shock to hear they wanted to extend an offer.”
A listed 6-foot-4 and 290 pounds, Henderson said having the opportunity to converse with Mawae, an NFL Hall of Fame center, left an invaluable impression.
“Coach Mawae, his background speaks for itself,” Henderson said. “The dude is a Hall of Famer. You can't get much better than that. As an offensive lineman, you always want to be the best and there's no better way to be the best and learn from the best. That dude, you can clearly tell that he's one of the best.
“And coach Breneman, he's a young dude. He can relate to me in certain ways and they're great guys. After a phone call with them, you can just tell they've got their priorities straight in there. They're trying to turn everything around over there and I believe they will.”
Prepping in South Carolina, Henderson said the furthest out west he has visited is Texas. While the majority of that side of the country is relatively unknown to him, Henderson said he wants to “learn more” and will take a visit to ASU when “all this gets cleared out with [coronavirus].”
Despite the distance, Henderson said he was still aware of the Sun Devils’ program and the Pac-12 as a whole. As for what he is looking for in his college of choice, he emphasized the “fit” will be the biggest factor.
“The fit could be in Alaska, then it's in Alaska,” Henderson said. “I could go out there at any time, but if the fit is in South Carolina, the fit is in South Carolina. I'm just looking for wherever it is. My parents are right behind me. I'm a huge mama's boy, but she's expressed to me many times that she's going to be right there with me. So, it doesn't matter really where it is. We're going to be there if it's right for me.”
Currently unranked by both 247Sports and the network’s Composite, Henderson said he has been in contact with Northwestern the most among programs that have not yet offered. He also mentioned Clemson, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia and Virginia Tech as schools that have reached out.
When he is allowed, Henderson said he will make a visit to Arkansas. He has no other formative plans at this time. Despite it being early in his process, Henderson said he will not soon forget the programs that have already offered.
“I think that really affects everybody in the recruiting process,” Henderson said. “When someone pulls the trigger on you early and they say, 'Hey, we don't need to see anything else, we want you,' that holds a lot of weight. That's always going to be in the back of your head, no matter who it is. I hold that deep in my heart and very close to me.”
Entering his junior season after an 11-2 campaign a year ago, according to MaxPreps, Henderson has a clear idea of where he stands as a football player.
“I'm more of a perfectionist at heart when it comes down to it,” Henderson said. “Offensive linemen, you've got to have more technique than anything. At the same time, I still want to bring a certain grittiness and a certain physicalness to the spot. There's a lot of guys that play the spot and all they worry about is technique, technique, technique and they don't really let the dog out.
“I think you need to have a healthy mix of rocket scientist, trying to figure out everything you can do, and just go out there and maul somebody. There's a lot of guys out there that don't do that. And [defensive] linemen, they go against a dude that looks them right in the face and says, 'Hey man, I'm about to crush you.' And they'll do it. I try to be that guy."
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South Carolina OL Henderson 'really emotional' after ASU offer - 247Sports
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