South Carolina visit "speaks volumes" for 5-star K.J. Henry

Five-star K.J. Henry used his fourth official visit to get a closer look at South Carolina. The defensive end from Clemmons (N.C.) West Forsyth witnessed the Gamecocks beat the Florida Gators but he also heard a lot about what he would be able to accomplish if he were to play for South Carolina.

IN HIS OWN WORDS…

“We got into town and settled down before meeting up with the guys,” Henry said. “They had an early game the next day so I got to go through a lot of pregame stuff that night. It was good to see how they got prepared for a game.

“On Saturday, we got up and had breakfast with most of the coaches,” he said. “We all got in that pregame mode and met up with the unofficial visitors. They had a lot of visitors there. I got to meet Bryson Allen-Williams. He got injured earlier this year but he’s coming back next year. He was a cool guy and I think he would be a good mentor to me if I were to go there.

“I thought it was a dog fight kind of game,” said Henry. “Knowing that coach Muschamp used to coach there, it definitely had everybody fired up. A lot of young guys are on that defense and are buying into what him and coach T-Rob are saying. Almost 50-percent of that team are freshman and sophomores so that just speaks volumes to the work they’re doing and the coaches that are developing those guys.

“The main message from the coaches was about my opportunity there,” he said. “They’re having a lot of success with a lot of young guys. The coaches were talking about the guys that are coming in next year and where everybody is going to be. I’d have the opportunity to be on the field and compete for more playing time and possibly become the starter.

“I talked to coach Muschamp before I left on Sunday,” Henry said. “We just went over my visit and how I felt. There were a lot of good things there.

“This visit was probably close to the top in terms of how good it was compared to my other visits,” he said. “The opportunity that I know I have there, what they can do for me, and what I can do for them are all great. At the end of the day, you just want to be on the field. Being able to see all of it in person was big and it speaks volumes.

“I’ll figure out my last official visit to Alabama in the next couple weeks,” said Henry. “We’ve got playoffs now.”

RIVALS’ REACTION

South Carolina definitely put their best foot forward over the weekend and the hard-fought win over a conference rival certainly helps. Henry knows he could make an early impact for the Gamecocks and that’s the best thing they have going for them right now. The big question is whether that will be enough to push South Carolina to the top of Henry’s list. The Gamecocks would be jumping Clemson, Virginia Tech, and Georgia if they were to take the lead in Henry’s recruitment. The Alabama official visit looms large in the distance and it looks like the early enrollee will be heading to Tuscaloosa some time in December prior to his commitment on December 20th.