Despite trending to Auburn for a majority of the spring, Elba (Ala.) four-star running back Alvin Henderson committed to Penn State on April 11.
James Franklin and the Nittany Lions pulled off an impressive win, plucking the top-10 tailback from an SEC program in his home state. The challenge for PSU now, however, is keeping Henderson pledged until the time comes to sign.
Last weekend, Henderson was back on The Plains, visiting Auburn for the first time since his decision in April. The Tigers are going nowhere and have kept their foot on the gas in his recruitment. Auburn insider Jeffrey Lee is one of the many who sees Henderson winding up as a member of Hugh Freeze’s 2025 class when things are all said and done.
“I believe a lot of people close to his recruitment — including myself — believe he’s going to end up at Auburn. Auburn has prioritized him for years, even when Hugh Freeze and Derrick Nix came on. It was kind of a surprise when he committed to Penn State, at least in the days leading up to his commitment,” Lee said on ‘The Inside Scoop’.
That belief was only bolstered when Henderson made his way back to campus last weekend. Auburn is less than 100 miles from home, while Penn State is nearly 800. The Tigers continue to have a much easier time getting the blue-chipper in for visits, a clear advantage as his recruitment continues.
“He shows up Saturday for an unofficial visit. Kind of snuck in, didn’t have a lot of publicity about the visit, and I think that’s the first of many we’ll see Alvin back on Auburn’s campus,” Lee said. “I think he’s looking for a reason to commit to Auburn, he just hasn’t found it yet.”
Auburn still has something to prove to Henderson
While Auburn will continue to try and flip Henderson, there was a reason he pledged to Penn State in the first place. Running back development in Happy Valley — in Henderson’s words — were a top factor in his decision to choose PSU over the Tigers.
“My three reasons for choosing Penn State are its tradition for running back development that coach Seider and coach Franklin have built, the family feeling that I felt around the campus and the fans when I was there and the opportunities to go there and be successful,” Henderson told On3.
That running back development could change under new Auburn offensive coordinator and RBs coach Derrick Nix, who reunited with Freeze from Ole Miss. If Henderson sees some improvement in the backfield this upcoming season, that could be a tipping point to pull him away from Penn State down the stretch.
“There’s only one setback for him, only one holdup for him and that’s the running back production under Hugh Freeze. He wants to see how they’re going to do that now with Derrick Nix as the offensive coordinator. I think it’s a nine out of 10 for Alvin right now with Auburn, it’s just not a 10,” Lee said. “He’s wanting to see that in this fall and I think he’ll see what he wants to see…ultimately I think he ends up with Auburn, I’m not alone it that. But right now you’ve still got to unseat Penn State from him.”
Henderson is the No. 141 overall prospect and No. 8 RB in the 2025 cycle, according to the On3 Industry Ranking, a weighted average that utilizes all four major recruiting media companies. He’s also the No. 13 player in Alabama.
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