Seantrel Henderson names three favorites

[DL65]

FWIW

If his sole reason in selecting one of the three schools he listed is to play for a championship (national) he could whittle his choices down to two: Florida and USC.

I see the Gators and Trojans and a few others playing for the national title before the Buckeyes make another appearance. The Buckeyes' last two appearances created lasting (not so positive) impressions. And before their national title a few years back (after a questionable interference call in the end zone) they hadn't won a national title since 1968, one year after our last Big 10 title . . . a long drought. (Oklahoma, USC, Florida State, Miami, Nebraska, Texas, etc. won several titles during the interim). I see many of those schools in the title game before the Buckeyes. (Not that it matters, I was cheering and happy that the Buckeyes defeated the Hurricanes in the national title game).

As far as preparing for the NFL, a number of schools could be listed in that category as well.

That's my take.

Go Gophers!!

 

[ulfr]

Being the top prospect in the country, Henderson's drive to be in a top 5 program was almost a foregone conclusion and I seriously think only a doulbly tremendous showing by the Gophers will alter that path. [side note: If daddy Henderson is driving an Escalade ala Reggie Bush & Co. in the next three to four years I am calling the NCAA and starting a non-profit to fuel the investigation.]

I will agree with others and say that I am alarmed that Brewster has yet to lock down a top Minnesota recruit yet! [Of course we cannot, as is oft stressed on these boards, mis-allocate credit for the 07 class when Mason last brought in the top in-state target ] I figured of all the hot-air filled promises Tim made in his first week, that would be the most attainable. Now it seems as though he will need to deliver on 'Pasadena sooner' to ever get the elite prepsters in state and finally get that rusty old lock at the border to shut [which probably hasn't been locked since the early Warmath era if not the Bierman days].

If Henderson becomes a Golden Gopher it may well go down as Brewster's greatest victory regardless of his on field record, because the the road to Pasadena may well be easier than it seems it will be to convince the parents that a quicker payday doesn't lie through a top five school.

 

[Ole]

The instate recruiting IS getting better, the elite in state recruits will always be a tough get, check out some other states rankings on rivals, medium sized states with solid to good D1 programs in them get their top guys poached very often. While it's dissapointing to lose Henderson, I really don't think Brewster has dropped the ball as far as effort in recruiting goes. Does anyone actually think he's not working himself and his staff to the bone hitting the recruiting trail? I don't. He's bringing in good talent still, the big fish will come, but it's becoming evident that it's going to take a few years to repair and elevate the program's reputation.
keep the faith is all I'm saying, things are pointed in the right direction, whether we get there or not is still to be seen.

 

[ilovethebarn]

If I was Brewster I would tell him to get lost and not put anymore time into his recruitment. This isn't a case of wanting to leave the state and play away from home, he's another Prima Donna who thinks he's too good for the University of Minnesota. Who wants to be an afterthought...

Why would he do this? The kid will play in the NFL and it looks like he wants as much national exposure as possible. Going to one of those three schools you are playing for a national title each year.

I would think though that if he wants to play in the NFL he could honestly choose any school he wanted. He skills won't diminish in the 3 years he stays in school. Just holding out hope that we have an awesome year this year and that Seantrel has a change of heart.

 

[RailBaronYarr]

Fair or not Brewster was hired for his recruiting ability, not for his coaching ability and not for his ability to put together a staff. If you cannot get the top player in the state for 3 consecutive years how are you going to get the top players in Florida, Texas, and California to come here consistently. He needs to have find a way to get him to go here or else the leash for him is going to get really short.

Fair to say when it is a top 100 player in the country who is our #1 recruit. But honestly, the #1 recruit in the COUNTRY? The fact that he is in the mix for players we wouldn't have dreamed of before is a huge step forward for us, as is the level of talent he has actually brought in.

The Jason Smith example may be true but the fact remains that Ohio State, USC, and Florida put more guys into the NFL on a consistent basis than most programs out there. Heck, you can look at a Matt Cassel who never even started at USC but still made it to the NFL. At these programs you are getting more visibility from the NFL because the scouts are there all the time because they can be scouting multiple players when they go to visit these teams or the games that they are in.

Fine, then your example of Matt Cassel is way off base, too. How many other second/third stringers from USC, Florida, OSU, etc are starters in the NFL today? How many starting QBs from USC are starters in the pros right now? Booty and legend Leinert aren't..

This year's draft saw top ten picks from schools like: Baylor, Wake Forest, Virginia, and Maryland.
2008: Virginia, Arkansas (McFadden basically made that offense click)
2007: Georgia Tech, Wisc, Clemson, Arkansas, Louisville
2006: NC State, Virginia, Maryland
2005: Utah, West Virginia, South Carolina (Auburn had 3 top 10 picks that year...)

Point is you can see non-football powerhouses will get plenty of media love if they have an NFL-caliber, game changing player. They will get plenty of attention and scouting done on them, and teams like MN can produce 3-5 top ten picks in any given year. Will USC and Florida have a lot of good players go, too? Yes, no one is disputing that. If Seantrel came here, he would have an easy time making it to the NFL and have a lucrative career if he so chooses.

Blame it on the weather, school history, campus location/attractions, whatever, but I hate the NFL excuse. And we certainly don't have to play second fiddle to anyone in terms of player amenities and facilities...

 

[GopherGod]

The instate recruiting IS getting better, the elite in state recruits will always be a tough get, check out some other states rankings on rivals, medium sized states with solid to good D1 programs in them get their top guys poached very often. While it's dissapointing to lose Henderson, I really don't think Brewster has dropped the ball as far as effort in recruiting goes. Does anyone actually think he's not working himself and his staff to the bone hitting the recruiting trail? I don't. He's bringing in good talent still, the big fish will come, but it's becoming evident that it's going to take a few years to repair and elevate the program's reputation.
keep the faith is all I'm saying, things are pointed in the right direction, whether we get there or not is still to be seen.

I think whenever there is a change in coaches it is common to see a uplift in recruiting for a while as the new coaching staffs speak of change and a new future, vision playing time, etc., however after a couple of years that message starts to fall on deaf ears as the recruits want to see tangible examples of that change which includes winning on the field and competing on a national stage. Eventually you have to coach up the recruits you got earlier and get them to perform at or above their abilities to create a winning product which will further elevate your recruiting to another level. The top level recruits have heard all of the sales pitches and just want to win and play in significant games.

 

[AeroGopher]

IMO we need to win 9+ games this year and get him to officially visit before we can change his mind. I think that if we do that we will land him, and if we don't we won't land him. And I'll leave it as simple as that and stop worrying about it. Unfortunately it is apparent that Brewster's on the field record needs to make another step or two before the recruiting can take another step forward. If it doesn't happen this year, I'm still optimistic about the future because I think this year's class will be really great even without Henderson.

 

[GopherGod]

Fair to say when it is a top 100 player in the country who is our #1 recruit. But honestly, the #1 recruit in the COUNTRY? The fact that he is in the mix for players we wouldn't have dreamed of before is a huge step forward for us, as is the level of talent he has actually brought in.



Fine, then your example of Matt Cassel is way off base, too. How many other second/third stringers from USC, Florida, OSU, etc are starters in the NFL today? How many starting QBs from USC are starters in the pros right now? Booty and legend Leinert aren't..

This year's draft saw top ten picks from schools like: Baylor, Wake Forest, Virginia, and Maryland.
2008: Virginia, Arkansas (McFadden basically made that offense click)
2007: Georgia Tech, Wisc, Clemson, Arkansas, Louisville
2006: NC State, Virginia, Maryland
2005: Utah, West Virginia, South Carolina (Auburn had 3 top 10 picks that year...)

Point is you can see non-football powerhouses will get plenty of media love if they have an NFL-caliber, game changing player. They will get plenty of attention and scouting done on them, and teams like MN can produce 3-5 top ten picks in any given year. Will USC and Florida have a lot of good players go, too? Yes, no one is disputing that. If Seantrel came here, he would have an easy time making it to the NFL and have a lucrative career if he so chooses.

Blame it on the weather, school history, campus location/attractions, whatever, but I hate the NFL excuse. And we certainly don't have to play second fiddle to anyone in terms of player amenities and facilities...

I stated that there are players from all levels of schools that go to the NFL but the fact remains that the top programs send more players, period. By the way I didn't know you had to start in the NFL to be considered in the NFL as you try and discard Booty and Leinert who are drawing NFL paychecks but not starting. But since you are asking, USC will have 3 starting QB's this year(Palmer, Cassel, Sanchez) in the NFL out of 5, not a bad number. First off no one has an easy time making it to the NFL and to say that Seantrel's path would be easier here is crazy. And in regards to facilities and amenities our new stadium is nice and a definite improvement but you might want to get out and check out some other schools facilities and you will see that we still definitely have room for improvement especially when you look at the facilities of Bierman compared to some of the other universities out there.

 

[Ole]

I think whenever there is a change in coaches it is common to see a uplift in recruiting for a while as the new coaching staffs speak of change and a new future, vision playing time, etc., however after a couple of years that message starts to fall on deaf ears as the recruits want to see tangible examples of that change which includes winning on the field and competing on a national stage. Eventually you have to coach up the recruits you got earlier and get them to perform at or above their abilities to create a winning product which will further elevate your recruiting to another level. The top level recruits have heard all of the sales pitches and just want to win and play in significant games.

No doubt, basically when th 08 class are seniors, if we haven't seen any big wins against big time opponents then it's time to warm up the seat.

 

[Sportsfan24]

This will hurt but its the truth.

If the NFL is his goal, he would be better off attending any of the three schools he mentioned.

If he wants to be a hometown hero and King for life in Minnesota (and still get to the NFL) he will stay home.

At any of the other schools Sentrel will be noteworthy only as long as he is on campus no matter how good of a career he has (Deity status is reserved for hometown talent), at Minnesota Sentrel will not only be the first #1 recruit in Mn staying home, he will usher a new era into Gopher. When Brewster can get every Mn kid he wants the gophers will start winning Rosebowls and playing in BCS bowls consistently.

 

[Goldmember]

They certainly could. But the Gophers could also become the new USC. Are either of these likely to happen? Nope. All in all this is a pretty asinine comment.

No one said anything about the Gophers becoming USC. Nice straw-man though. I was just noting how pointless chosing a school on the basis of National Championship prospects is.

As far as USC, OSU or Florida descending over 2010-2013... it is actually very likely that at least one of the three will. Just look at historic standings. As much as college football fans are in love with coaches it is pretty rare that they are able to pull a repeat performance with their next generation of recruits. Even if a program doesn't go the way of Michigan, Tennessee, Notre Dame, Auburn, Nebraska or Miami (and completely suck), they are still likely to end up like LSU, Virginia Tech, or Georgia (totally out-of-contention).

 

[MRJ]

It is called "don't want to hurt the homeboys feelings or get any hassles, but at the right time I will decide between the three".

The Stars in the eyes is correct. Key words "championships" & "NFL". Glad Gjere is staying. If the Gophers can get Gayden back, that would still be a pretty outstanding line! Sentral is not giving the Gophers enough credit. I think by the end of 09, they are going to be a pretty outstanding, on the rise program.

Exactly. It sounds eerily similar to what Bryce McNeal did last year. All and all, it comes off as the "well, your program really isn't good enough for me, but I'll keep mentioning you because I don't want to catch crap from my friends, family and the locals in Minnesota." I would have more respect for kids if they just came out and said, "that's it. I'm not going to Minnesota. End of story." But, that's just me.

But like I said earlier, all bets are off as far as I'm concerned. Hopefully, this won't turn into any more of a circus than it already has.

 

[GopherGod]

No one said anything about the Gophers becoming USC. Nice straw-man though. I was just noting how pointless chosing a school on the basis of National Championship prospects is.

As far as USC, OSU or Florida descending over 2010-2013... it is actually very likely that at least one of the three will. Just look at historic standings. As much as college football fans are in love with coaches it is pretty rare that they are able to pull a repeat performance with their next generation of recruits. Even if a program doesn't go the way of Michigan, Tennessee, Notre Dame, Auburn, Nebraska or Miami (and completely suck), they are still likely to end up like LSU, Virginia Tech, or Georgia (totally out-of-contention).

First off those programs have succeeded with multiple generations of recruits and been in the hunt for national championships. Also, some of the teams you listed as completely suck are a significant step up from where we have been and are currently and the teams you list as totally out of contention are not this year, with the exception of maybe Georgia. USC and Florida had great recruiting classes last year and will this year so there should be little drop off anytime soon atleast until long after Seantrel is done and off playing on Sundays.

 

[GopherGod]

Exactly. It sounds eerily similar to what Bryce McNeal did last year. All and all, it comes off as the "well, your program really isn't good enough for me, but I'll keep mentioning you because I don't want to catch crap from my friends, family and the locals in Minnesota." I would have more respect for kids if they just came out and said, "that's it. I'm not going to Minnesota. End of story." But, that's just me.

But like I said earlier, all bets are off as far as I'm concerned. Hopefully, this won't turn into any more of a circus than it already has.

I think it is difficult to rule out the home school right away and I don't think there were or are any games being played by Seantrel with respect to his recruitment and interest in Minnesota as there were none with McNeal. I think that both of them were fair and have let Minnesota makes it sales pitch to them but at the end of the day they want to see the results on the field match the promises and pitche being presented to them and up to this point it has not occurred.

 

[MRJ]

I think it is difficult to rule out the home school right away and I don't think there were or are any games being played by Seantrel with respect to his recruitment and interest in Minnesota as there were none with McNeal. I think that both of them were fair and have let Minnesota makes it sales pitch to them but at the end of the day they want to see the results on the field match the promises and pitche being presented to them and up to this point it has not occurred.

You could very well be correct there. I was speaking more to my own personal interpretation of what comments like this one often lead to. If Seantrel wants to go to one of the power programs, that is certainly his right and I will wish him well. But I am wary of situations where recruits (or anybody else for that matter) start talking in circles. Maybe it's a bit of a knee-jerk reaction on my part, but I do question comments such as the ones made by Henderson here about "well, I'm going to pick from these three, but I'm not ruling anybody out." I'm not a fan of double talk and it makes me suspicious.

In the end, only Henderson, his family and perhaps his close friends really know what's going on. But that doesn't take away my suspicions.

 

[Plinnius]

If the NFL is his goal, he would be better off attending any of the three schools he mentioned.

Why?

 

[HopHead]

I stated that there are players from all levels of schools that go to the NFL but the fact remains that the top programs send more players, period.

IMHO, This is sort of a "chicken or the egg" situation. The top programs send more players to the NFL because the best players go to the top programs because they send more players to the NFL. And so on, and so on.

I think the biggest benefit a player gets out of going to a USC/Florida/Ohio St. is that they get to practice against top talent day in and day out. When and if they do go to the NFL, they aren't as awestruck by the difference in speed and ability.

With that being said, I would love to see Henderson in Maroon and Gold, but even before this latest news, I felt it was a long shot at best. I think that if the Gophers can string together 4+ years of 9 or more wins, then they might be able to get the best player in the country (if he is from Minnesota). 10+ years of 9 or more and they might get the best player regardless of where he's from.

We are just too early in the building process to expect these types of players right now. We can hope for them, but we can't expect them.

 

[Goldmember]

First off those programs have succeeded with multiple generations of recruits and been in the hunt for national championships.

Succeeded? Pretty vague. '02-'04 Florida was mediocre, and the SEC was not nearly as strong in those years. USC has 12 seasons of mediocrity prior to 2002.

Also, some of the teams ... you list as totally out of contention are not this year, with the exception of maybe Georgia.

Based on some of the things you post here, I wonder if you even follow the sport. LSU had five losses this year. How, exactly, were they "in-contention" for a National Championship? V-tech had four losses in a very weak conference. Both are schools where recruits had hoped to compete for a NC (and many would have argued that they were a lock to do so) only to struggle to stay above .500.

USC and Florida had great recruiting classes last year and will this year so there should be little drop off anytime soon atleast until long after Seantrel is done and off playing on Sundays.

Every NC contender has a great recruiting class. But very few can maintain 2 or fewer losses for more than a few years despite all the talent they attract.

 

[norman dale]

The way I look at it is

Seantrel Henderson the name is more important than Seantreal Henderson the player to this program. Folks, he is a left offensive tackle. Not a quarterback or running back. It would be a much bigger blow if he was the latter. Luckily there a lot more of the former found around these parts.

 

[Monty519]

I bet a 10-2 or 11-1 season would have him at least rethinking about Minnesota lol

 

[GopherinPhilly]

ESPNU 150 Watch Lister Seantrel Henderson names three favorites
Offensive tackle Seantrel Henderson told ESPN affiliate Web site GatorCountry.com, "Florida, USC and Ohio State... its going to be one of those three. They play for championships and they put a lot of people in the NFL."

"Distance doesn't matter," he continued. "It's about where I feel best about the school, the people in the program, the guys who are going to be my teammates and the coaches. If that's at a place like USC or Florida, that's fine with me. I'm going where I feel like I'm home. I'll know if it's the right place after I do my visits."

However, Henderson added, "It's not that I've closed the door on anyone. I'm still open but I've got some things that are important to me. It's going to be a tough choice but I'm going to make the right one whatever that is."

His father, Sean Henderson, previously informed affiliate Web site Bucknuts.com that Ohio State, Florida, USC and Oklahoma would be receiving official visits from his son and that Minnesota, Florida State, Notre Dame and Michigan were still in the mix.

If I were to put on his shoes...it would be a very difficult decision. I love the Gophers and Gopher sports...but that is mainly because I spent 5 years in school here. Honestly, the U of M was not my first college choice coming out of high school...if I would have had the money, Duke, USC and Michigan were my first three choices...but finances made staying at home necessary. No regrets mind you as I got a great education and loved every minute of it...but if things were different, I would have been off...sadly, to one of three schools that I despise in the sports world.

High school kids don't know nothin but what they see on TV...can you say USC, tOSU and Florida?

 

[GopherGod]

Succeeded? Pretty vague. '02-'04 Florida was mediocre, and the SEC was not nearly as strong in those years. USC has 12 seasons of mediocrity prior to 2002.


Based on some of the things you post here, I wonder if you even follow the sport. LSU had five losses this year. How, exactly, were they "in-contention" for a National Championship? V-tech had four losses in a very weak conference. Both are schools where recruits had hoped to compete for a NC (and many would have argues that they were a lock to do so) only to struggle to stay above .500.



Every NC contender has a great recruiting class. But very few can maintain 2 or fewer losses fro more than a few years despite all the talent they attract.

Pretty vague. '02-'04 Florida was mediocre, and the SEC was not nearly as strong in those years. USC has 12 seasons of mediocrity prior to 2002.

This is true but what do both of these have in common, Urban Meyer and Pete Carroll were not the coaches then. That fact of that matter is that these programs are not going to falter anytime soon, and by that I mean before Seantrel would graduate which is what we were talking about in the thread. When talking about the in-contention you need to specify in the past or this year because both LSU and Virginia Tech are predicted to be very solid teams this year. And don't worry about me following the sport as I am pretty sure I follow the sport atleast as much if not closer than you. You are the one I worry about when you fail to realize that while no school is a lock for a national championship, that your chances or playing for one are a lot greater at a USC or Florida than at Minnesota. Remember it wasn't my post in this thread that was refered to as asinine.

 

[PlayHosea]

I wonder what happened to his assertion that he was a basketball player first? USC's men's hoops program isn't in very good shape right now.

 

[Sportsfan24]

Why?

The same reason a garbage football player in Florida gets scholarship offers from D1 schools outside of Florida. It's all hype.

 

[GoAUpher]

No one said anything about the Gophers becoming USC. Nice straw-man though. I was just noting how pointless chosing a school on the basis of National Championship prospects is.

As far as USC, OSU or Florida descending over 2010-2013... it is actually very likely that at least one of the three will. Just look at historic standings. As much as college football fans are in love with coaches it is pretty rare that they are able to pull a repeat performance with their next generation of recruits. Even if a program doesn't go the way of Michigan, Tennessee, Notre Dame, Auburn, Nebraska or Miami (and completely suck), they are still likely to end up like LSU, Virginia Tech, or Georgia (totally out-of-contention).

My comment wasn't intended as a straw man. I know you weren't saying anything about the Gophers becoming USC. I equated the two possibilities b/c I feel they are equally unlikely.

I was focusing on your contention that either could slip to mediocrity with ease (which I view as separate from NC contention). To me, mediocrity refers the status of a whole program. Being considered a NC contender is a fleeting, yearly thing that doesn't reflect the true strength of a program. Even if Florida and USC weren't being talked about as national title contenders each year they would still be seen as powerful programs...not being talked about as contenders would not make them mediocre. The foundation of success both schools have set is very strong and it will take quite a bit to see either program regress significantly. You'd need a string of things to happen, the first one being a new coach who sucked at coaching, recruiting, or both (or either Carroll/Meyer to pull a Bowden and stay well past their prime).

If Henderson is truly making his decision based solely on what team is "hot" and being talked about for NC contention then he's being silly. But I'd note that in the article he's quoted as saying championships, not national championships and the schools he's listing are in contention to win their conference title every year (and in the case of USC a heavy favorite each season).

 

[GoAUpher]

I wonder what happened to his assertion that he was a basketball player first? USC's men's hoops program isn't in very good shape right now.

He can be a basketball player first and realize that football is where his future is. Saying he's a baller first doesn't mean that he'll choose based on basketball...it just means his heart and his head may be in different places.

 

[GopherFan75]

Seantrel Henderson the name is more important than Seantreal Henderson the player to this program. Folks, he is a left offensive tackle. Not a quarterback or running back. It would be a much bigger blow if he was the latter. Luckily there a lot more of the former found around these parts.

That is an incredibly stupid comment. You would think last year proved how important it is to be solid up front but some people don't get it and are all about flash. I guess because running backs get all the attention they are way more important. A dominant left tackle makes an offense so much better. I would say offensive tackle is arguably a more important position than running back. Why even recruit linemen if they are not important? It is no coincidence that the best teams in the country are all very solid up front.
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[GoAUpher]

That is an incredibly stupid comment. You would think last year proved how important it is to be solid up front but some people don't get it and are all about flash. I guess because running backs get all the attention they are way more important. A dominant left tackle makes an offense so much better. I would say offensive tackle is arguably a more important position than running back. Why even recruit linemen if they are not important? It is no coincidence that the best teams in the country are all very solid up front.

I think you misunderstood norman. IMO he wasn't saying that O-Lineman aren't important. He's saying that in his opinion its easier to find O-Lineman who can be great who may not be ranked as highly as Henderson. In other words, in his mind its a bigger deal to lose out on a local kid who is the #1 ranked player in the country AND a QB/RB vs. Henderson.

Or I'm way off base. Norman, care to set me straight?

 

[norman dale]

GoAUpher got it pretty much right but I'll elaborate further

I don't think anyone can argue that Minnesota, throw in the Dakotas to boot, does not produce enough skill position superior athletes that can make an immediate difference at the Division 1 football level. At least not enough on average that the U of M can rely upon to meets it yearly needs. If Seantrel Henderson were a QB, RB or WR this would be a much bigger loss as this recruiting area produces such precious few nationwide-type of recruits at the skill positions.

Think how many times you would cringe watching highlights on ESPN watching the #1 recruit nationally from the Twin Cities rack up 300+ yard passing games, 150+ yard rushing or 3 TD receiving days while playing for USC, Florida or OSU. Those highlights, for better or worse, are what get the attention of the casual football who would come to conclusion that the University of Minnesota cannot keep their local talent at home. Regardless of how many pancake blocks Seantrel throws in his career only a few of them will make the Saturday night highlights. Gopher fans will have to watch those highlights for 3 or 4 years which I wouldn't particularly like. That is why if he goes, go to Florida, where he will probably never have any future impact on the Gopher football program ever again.

Additionally, left tackle is one of 5 lineman who all must work in harmony for the QB or RB to make themselves effective. One of five. QB- one on the field at a time. RB - usually only one featured. That is another reason why it would hurt the Gophers if Seantrel were at a skilled position.

 

[GopherFan75]

You are probably right but I still think he's wrong. I think it's just as big of a deal even if he is a tackle. I also don't think you can just find any lineman like this. There is a reason he is the best player in the country. Linemen with his combination of size and athleticism don't come around too often.

Now with all this being said, I don't think it's the end of the world to miss out on him but it has nothing to do with the position he plays. That was my point.
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