Alvin Henderson is one of the top ten running backs in the college football recruiting class of 2025. His recent switch from Penn State to Auburn exemplifies the unpredictable nature of recruitment in the modern era.
Loyalty means nothing!
Henderson, an Alabama native, has 44 scholarship offers from across the country. Schools that have offered include Alabama, Texas, Miami, North Carolina, Georgia, Baylor, Florida, Colorado, Notre Dame, Ole Miss, and Purdue. Alabama, Florida State, Penn State, and Auburn are the most prominent in the mix. Particularly the latter two.
On April 11, the 5-foot-9, 200-pound ball carrier committed to James Franklin’s Nittany Lions program. Soon after, momentum began to shift in favor of the Tigers from within the state. Henderson visited The Plains in May.
On June 14, however, he returned to Happy Valley and referred to it as “home.”
Although speculation about a switch began earlier this week, Henderson emphasized that he was entirely committed to Penn State on the 16th.
The four-star prospect even responded to his own comment (in a since-deleted post) with an emoji indicating that University Park is home.
He tripled down on the 17th.
Everything changed within four days. Henderson officially changed his commitment from Penn State to Auburn on Friday, as predicted.
Alvin Henderson is not the only prospect to reverse his commitment. He is not the only recruit to change his mind after promising his allegiance to a school to which he was not loyal. This is not a new phenomenon.
However, it is a clear reflection of the current college football recruiting climate.
High school players are committing to programs while keeping their recruiting options open. They are visiting other schools while being actively committed elsewhere. They are flipping three days after promising not to flip.
While it is an athlete’s right to do whatever he wants with his career, it appears that this process could be adjusted so that only one commitment is disclosed prior to signing.
