Four-star running back Alvin Henderson commits to Penn State football
Penn State only hosted Elba (Ala.) running back Alvin Henderson for the first time over the weekend, but evidently Ja’Juan Seider and the Nittany Lions left quite an impression. The four-star running back committed to Penn State on Thursday afternoon.
“They have two of the best running backs [Kaytron Allen and Nick Singleton] that have dominated and they’ve got an opportunity to go to the league next year, potentially first-round picks, maybe second-round. Once they leave this year, obviously somebody’s gotta come in ready to work and do the things that they did their freshmen year,” Henderson told On3. “Not only with that, but the school is known for producing running backs.
“Just sitting there with the coaches, we’re in a situation where when our two dudes leave we need someone to come in and do what they did. Obviously, they told me and my family, preached it to us not just over the phone but in person, too, there’s 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 had this pegged as a battle between Auburn and Penn State over the last week. He still plans on taking official visits later in the process.
Link: Who are the top prospects confirmed for Penn State’s Blue-White Game?
The 5-foot-9, 195-pound Henderson is Penn State’s 12th commitment in the Class of 2025 and he’s the third running back to join the group. Pennsylvania three-star Tiqwai Hayes and Arkansas native Kiandrea Barker committed last year. Henderson said that deciding now is part of his master plan.
“The reason why I say now and not later is because I’m ready to just join a family that wants me,” said Henderson. “I’m ready to go ahead and build my class and start recruiting. Most of all I’m ready, the O-Line there is pretty set, they’ve already got a quarterback, they’ve got key pieces and two other running backs. 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 offer Henderson back in November of 2021, when he was just a freshman. Since then he’s been one of the most productive running backs in prep history. Henderson has carried 532 times in three seasons for 7,274 yards and 132 touchdowns. As a junior in 2023, Henderson carried 225 times for 3,523 yards and a state-record 61 touchdowns.
The On3 Industry Rankings list him as the nation’s No. 7 running back and No. 110 prospect overall. He’s also the No. 10 prospect in Alabama in the Class of 2025.
