Penn State Sports Magazine
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5 2 M A Y 2 0 2 4 W W W . B L U E W H I T E O N L I N E . C O M P enn State only hosted running back Alvin Henderson for the first time in early April, but evidently position coach Ja'Juan Seider and the Nittany Lions made quite an impression. The four- star prospect committed to Penn State on April 11, only a few days after return- ing home to Elba, Ala. Listed as the No. 8 running back na- tionally and No. 116 overall prospect in the On3 Industry Ranking, Henderson said he was impressed with the suc- cess that current juniors Kaytron Allen and Nicholas Singleton enjoyed in their first two seasons in the Nittany Lions' backfield. "They have two of the best running backs," Henderson told On3. "[Allen and Singleton] have dominated, and they've got an opportunity to go to the league next year, potentially as first-round picks, maybe second round. Once they leave after this year, obviously some- body has to come in ready to work and do the things that they did their fresh- man year. "Not only that, but the school is known for producing running backs. Just sitting there with the coaches, they said, 'We're in a situation where when our two dudes leave, we need some- one to come in and do what they did.' Obviously, they told me and my fam- ily, preached it to us not just over the phone but in person, too. There are a lot of dudes in the country that they have offered, and they want me to come in there and do the work." Programs in the mix for Henderson at the end included Auburn, Florida, Florida State and Miami. Most observ- ers had pegged this as a battle between the Tigers and Nittany Lions. He still plans on taking official visits later in the process. The 5-foot-9, 195-pound Henderson became the 12th commitment in Penn State's 2025 class and the third run- ning back. The Nittany Lions received commitments from Kiandrea Barker of Beebe, Ark., in April 2023, and Tiqwai Hayes of Aliquippa, Pa., in September. Both have received three-star grades in the On3 Industry Ranking. Henderson said that deciding on a college nine months ahead of the sign- ing period was part of his master plan. "I'm ready to just join a family that wants me," he said. "I'm ready to go ahead and build my class and start re- cruiting. I'm ready, the O-line there is pretty set, they've already got a quar- terback, they've got key pieces and two other running backs [in the 2025 class]. I'm ready to continue to enforce that I'm going to be one of the leaders, the alphas. They always have a top class, but I want to help put the icing on the cake." Penn State was the sixth program to extend an offer to Henderson back in November 2021, when he was just a freshman at Elba High. Since then, he's developed into one of the most produc- tive running backs in Alabama prep his- tory. He has carried 532 times in three seasons for 7,274 yards and 132 touch- downs. As a junior in 2023, Henderson carried 225 times for 3,523 yards and a state-record 61 touchdowns. ■ Alabama Prospect Eager To Join Lions' Backfield S E A N F I T Z | S E A N . F I T Z @ O N 3 . C O M With his senior season at Elba (Ala.) High still to come, Henderson has already rushed for 7,274 yards and 132 touch- downs. PHOTO COURTESY ON3 Alvin Henderson is the most productive of the top running back prospects in this cycle coming out of his junior season. He plays at a lower level in Alabama, but he is utterly dominant against that competition, as you would expect from a blue-chip prospect. As a junior, he ran for over 3,500 yards and 61 touchdowns at 15.7 yards per carry. I think he'll probably go down as one of the top rushers in Alabama prep history, and he may even register on some national record books. There's one thing that is apparent pretty quickly when you're looking at him as a prospect — he just dominates. From a skill set perspective, he's fairly well-rounded across the board. He has a compact build and has continued to add size to fill out his frame over the past two years. He shows good vision and knows how to set up his blocks. Obviously, he carried the load with 225 rushing attempts as a junior. I think he has the third-highest carry total in the On300. He sets up his blocks well, has good vision and balance, and shows the ability to run through arm tackles. His hands are solid, and I think he'll continue to improve there, too, with more reps. He's primarily been used as a rusher at the high school level. I believe he only had 5 catches as a junior, but seeing him in those camp settings, he has the coordination to be a solid pass catcher. — Charles Power P L A Y E R E V A L U A T I O N COMMITMENT PROFILE ALVIN HENDERSON