Five-star tackle Henderson picks USC
Lane Kiffin capped off his first National Signing Day as USC's coach by reeling in offensive tackle Seantrel Henderson, the nation's No. 2 prospect and the highest-ranked undecided player going into the big day.
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Henderson's signing was seen as a coup for Kiffin, who was hired as Trojans coach Jan. 12, and will likely help USC finish with the No. 2 recruiting class in the nation.
"I just felt like I was the most comfortable at USC," Henderson said after announcing his choice on CSTV. "They have a great recruiting class coming in, so I'll have great players around me.
"Coach (Lane) Kiffin, coach Monte (Kiffin), coach (Ed) Orgeron and coach (James) Cregg were all great. I think coach Cregg is going to come in and do some good things with the o-line."
Henderson, from St. Paul (Minn.) Cretin-Derham Hall, was considered the nation's best offensive lineman and was the overall top high school prospect in the nation until the final evaluation period. His other finalist was Ohio State, and he also made official visits to Florida, Miami and Notre Dame. Minnesota also was in the mix for his services.
"The (USC) campus itself, it's not too big or too small," said Henderson. "Class sizes are good -- it's not 300 people per class. And then I just felt comfortable in Los Angeles."
Henderson was one of five five-star prospects who signed with the Trojans, the most for any school. The other five-star talents who chose USC were wide receiver Markeith Ambles of McDonough (Ga.) Henry County, San Diego Mission Bay athlete Dillon Baxter, Hillside (Ill.) Proviso West wide receiver Kyle Prater and Gardena (Calif.) Serra athlete Robert Woods.
Baxter, Prater and Woods had committed to USC before Pete Carroll moved on to the NFL. But as with Henderson, Ambles didn't make his decision until Wednesday.
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