The Seantrel Henderson Sweepstakes

by GopherNation on Jul 6, 2009 2:00 PM CDT in Recruiting - Football Comment 7 comments

It isn't very often you get the consensus #1 recruit in the country playing in your home state. So let this be the first of regular installments giving you the latest on the recruiting circus surrounding Seantrel Henderson. Below is a map with the schools most often associated with the Seantrel Sweepstakes. As Henderson schedules his unofficial and official visits I will update with dates and links. I will also add and/or drop schools as I get relevant information requiring me to do so.

Here are some very important things to know about the nation's number one college football recruit...

He plans to make his decision during one of the post-season All-Star games. Both ESPN's Under Armour and the Army All-American games are courting him for obvious reasons.
Basketball remains his first love and is considering playing both in college. But he knows his meal-ticket is football so that will be the priority.
Plays football for Minnesota powerhouse, Cretin-Derham Hall. The Raiders have been a recruiting pipeline for Notre Dame in recent years but Henderson does not seem real high on the Irish.
Remember the name J.D. Pride II. The dual-threat QB plays for Totino Grace (another local privat school with a history of very good football), is a very good friend of Seantrel's and his father is a sort of mentor/advisor/consultant to Seantrel. While the two are not officially a package deal, it is rumored that they would enjoy playing together at the next level. Pride's offer sheet begins and ends with Minnesota but he has interest from Ohio St, Wis, S Car, UNC, Alabama, etc.
Has publicly stated that distance isn't a factor, but also is very family oriented and wants his family to be able to see him play. Something there will have to give. Michigan fans want to think that playing "a few times" in Minnesota will suffice if he chooses Michigan but his only trip to Minneapolis would be 2012 (they do not play in 2010, away in 2011, home in 2012).

The Gopher perspective

I sincerely believe the Gopher's chances of landing Henderson come down to winning in 2009. I think he likes the idea of staying close to family, I think he likes the coaching staff in Minnesota, but I also think he wants to win. If you can choose a school that you firmly believe has a chance to play for a national championship in your career, why wouldn't you do that? I think THAT is the biggest hurdle the Gophers have.

The Gophers have some things going for them. They were quick to offer J.D. Pride and have been all over Seantrel from day one. His future, Gopher offensive-line coach's son is attending school with Seantrel. He has had ample opportunity to get to know the current roster of Gophers, developing those relationships is a good thing. He can be a program changer and local hero should he chose to stay home. The Gophers have MarQueis Gray under center for Seantrel's career giving him a talented QB to block for. And if he wants to play basketball we have Tubby Smith as an ace up our sleeve.

But like I said it really comes down to winning for the Gophers. If we can rack up some wins and show that this program can take another step forward then we have a chance. If we falter to another 7-5 or worse record then I think Henderson takes his skills elsewhere.

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Falter at 7-5?

I think this team has more upside that last year’s team, but given the schedule that is apples and oranges. This year’s Gopher team could go 7-5 and be significantly better than last year’s team.

Sorry GN. I gotta call you out on that.

by the accomplice on Jul 6, 2009 3:25 PM CDT reply actions

I agree

7-5 might be an alright season but my point was (although poorly articulated) that it might be enough to land Seantrel. It isn’t showing that we are going to be competing for anything significant in the near future. 7-5 and coming close in the Ohio St and Iowa games (or Cal or PSU or some combination) may be different than 7-5 and not competing in the tougher games on the schedule.

what you say here can, and will, be used against you

by GopherNation on Jul 6, 2009 4:07 PM CDT up reply actions

This year

there is going to be a lot of review of the subjective aspect of the Gophers’ season, instead of objective. A lot of pundits have remarked objectively, and correctly, that the Gophers significantly improved from 2007 to 2008.

However, the subjective feeling for 2008 was that the Gophers had a cake non-conference schedule, upset an Illinois team that missed a bowl, got sucker-punched by NW and Wisconsin, and got rolled by tOSU, Michigan, Iowa and Kansas.

If Minnesota goes 7-5 against this schedule, yeah, that’s an accomplishment. However, if it gets run this year by the tough teams on their schedule (and by “run” I mean more than 2 touchdown losses), that will make it very tough to keep Seantrel in state. Style will mean more in 2009 than the box score results.

by JG2112 on Jul 6, 2009 7:09 PM CDT reply actions

Michigan Bash

I really don’t understand your bashing of his possible choice being Michigan. What do you think the Gophers offer him that Michigan doesn’t? Minnesota is a good school with a great new football facility, but other than that what is it? The Gophers haven’t exactly been a Big Ten Power House lately… You’ve got to get rid of that Gopher bias to be a good college football sports reporter

by True Blue Fan on Jul 9, 2009 7:13 AM CDT reply actions

How did I bash Michigan?

I stated that the Michigan scout article was very Michigan-centric. Which it was (if you want to see biases sports reporting, read that). Then I stated that to assume Michigan will be the choice because he’ll still get to come and play in Minnesota (where his family can see him) a “few times” over his career, is false. Michigan will be here one time over the four years SH will be playing. Not bashing, just a fact. SH has said distance isn’t a factor, but he is close to his family and them being able to see him play is important to him.

And this post was pretty clear in being links and then the Gophers perspective. I laid out why I think they have a chance, without bashing the other schools. He wants to play with JD, the gophers are the only ones to offer. He may want to play basketball, the Gophers have Tubby Smith. He’s been getting to know guys on the team for two years now, nobody else has had that advantage. The last few paragraphs were intended to be from a Gopher perspective (this is a Gopher blog).

You’ve got to get rid of that knee-jerk, defensive, over-reactionism if you are going bash me in the comments.

In the end I think Michigan is in the same boat as the Gophers, they need to win this year. If he believes the Gophers can compete for the Big Ten in the next few years he’ll stay (and that is a big IF). If he wants to play for a national championship he’ll go to USC, Oklahoma, Florida or Ohio State. Michigan hasn’t been in the national championship game since 1997 and Rich Rod hasn’t proven anything there yet (that is Michigan bashing).

what you say here can, and will, be used against you

by GopherNation on Jul 9, 2009 10:41 AM CDT reply actions

HATER

I got more rhymes than Wade Lookingbill's got dunks

by Adam Jacobi on Jul 9, 2009 12:12 PM CDT up reply actions

Agreed

Good points. I hope for the sake of the Big Ten that teams like Minnesota, Michigan, Michigan State all take a step forward in improving their games. Thanks for the insight

by True Blue Fan on Jul 11, 2009 12:42 PM CDT up reply actions

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