(Yes, I know. Another Seantrel story. Just keep telling yourself, “63 days... 63 days... 63 days...)
In the hours after Seantrel Henderson gave a verbal commitment to USC live on national television, Henderson made it clear that he was not going to sign his Letter of Intent until the sanctions the football program might be facing came into a little clearer focus.
There were also rumors that surfaced shortly after the verbal that the offensive tackle had actually decided on opting for Miami, but made a last-minute decision to flip to the Trojans.
That was nearly five months. In the interim, Henderson did sign on with USC, but reports surfaced recently that Henderson is wavering on his commitment -- he didn’t show for orientation last month as expected -- in the wake of unprecedented sanctions handed down to USC. So much wavering, in fact, that Lane Kiffin and an entourage have made not one but two trips to Henderson’s Minnesota home in recent weeks in an effort to solidify his standing with the program.
Those efforts, according to the latest report, are not going well for Kiffin & Company.
According to the St. Paul Pioneer Press, Henderson is still balking at his commitment to USC and is leaning toward moving on to Miami. Unless Henderson requested a release from his LOI and USC granted it -- the latter doesn’t appear likely at the moment -- the lineman would have to sit out a year if he were to transfer to a Div. 1-A program.
Henderson could also go the prep school route, but that would also entail sitting out a year.
Regardless, it appears it will take a Herculean effort by Kiffin and his staff to retain the top player in the Class of 2010.