Another Henderson will strap up the pads for the Florida Gators
It has been an eventful past couple of days for Florida in the recruiting world.
After former five-star running back Lorenzo Lingard announced on Friday that he will be transferring to UF, the Gators just reeled in a commitment from legacy target Xzavier Henderson.
At the 2020 All-American Bowl on Saturday, Henderson announced his decision to commit to Florida over Alabama, Clemson and Georgia. The borderline Rivals100 prospect joins Ja'Quavion Fraziars (signed) and Leonard Manuel as the only wide receivers in UF's 2020 class.
"It really became my second home. I've been there so many times," Henderson said after announcing his decision. "I'm ready to be great."
For a significant portion of his recruitment, it had appeared as if the Tigers were going to be able to lure another Sunshine State recruit away from Dan Mullen and company. Within the past week, however, the Gators started to gain momentum, and received a dozen FutureCast predictions in their favor to land the top-20 WR on Rivals.
For Henderson, an appealing aspect about Florida is the potential for him to come in and see the field early in his collegiate career.
When previewing his decision with Rivals recruiting analyst Woody Wommack earlier this week, Henderson said the departure of multiple senior pass catchers has caught his attention.
"They have a good couple of wide receivers leaving, four seniors total, so there's going to be an opportunity to come in and play early as a freshman and make an impact," Henderson told Wommack on Wednesday. "It kind of became my second home because I went up there to see my brother play so many times and watch him play."
UF's offense this past season featured a heavy emphasis on spreading the ball around to different targets. Eight players had at least 20 receptions on the team, and a half-dozen Gators recorded at least 340 receiving yards in their 2019 campaign.
Henderson attributes Florida's success in their aerial attack to Mullen and his willingness to take advantage of all the weapons on the team.
"When he came in, he turned the offense around," Henderson said of Mullen. "Since last year to this year, they've made a big improvement and I think a lot of that has to do with him. He spreads the ball around and gets the ball to a lot of people and makes sure everyone gets their opportunities."
Looking at his ranking on Rivals, Henderson will be in the Rivals100 if he is able to leap one prospect in the final update. He is currently the 14th-ranked player in Florida and the 19th-ranked wide receiver in the nation.
UF fans, get a taste for what Henderson will be bringing to the table by checking out his senior season highlights down below.
Stay tuned to GatorsTerritory.