Pickerington (Ohio) Central DB Xavier Henderson
One of the players that the Michigan State staff is making a top priority for the class of 2018 is Pickerington (Ohio) Central defensive back Xavier Henderson. The Rivals.com top 250 prospect plays an aggressive ball-hawking style that has led to an extensive list of scholarship offers.
The 6-foot, 185-pound Henderson has been on the MSU radar for quite some time. The staff identified him early on as a Plan A recruit and they have been in frequent contact over the past year.
“I believe they offered right towards the end of fall and since then, I’ve been there for their spring game, a camp, and a practice a couple weeks ago,” Henderson said. “I like them a lot and try to keep a good relationship. I just got off the phone actually with the defensive coordinator, coach (Harlon) Barnett. I’m going to try to make it up there for the Ohio State and Michigan games.”
MSU is not the only Division I program actively recruiting Henderson. Other teams that have offered him a scholarship include Ole Miss, Boston College, Iowa State, Cincinnati, Kentucky and a host of MAC programs. Ohio State and Notre Dame have also been in contact, but have yet to extend a scholarship. Rivals.com ranks Henderson the No. 18 cornerback in the nation and the No. 8 player in Ohio overall.
Henderson has visited several of the schools that have offered as well as some of the schools that are still in the evaluation stage. He said he has developed a good idea of what he is looking for in a college destination.
“A place that makes me feel at home,” Henderson said. “Some place that my parents will know that when I go I’ll come back. The Spartans are probably my favorite right now. I have the best relationship with Coach D (Mark Dantonio) and the rest of the staff.”
Pickerington is a suburb of Columbus and that area is covered from a recruiting perspective by MSU linebackers coach Mike Tressel. The fact that Barnett, who also coaches the defensive backs, is already actively involved in Henderson’s recruitment is a strong indication of how the staff feels about him.
Matt Dorsey is a recruiting analyst for SpartanMag.com and Rivals.com.