Emmanuel Henderson established himself as one of the top running back prospects in the country as a sophomore at Geneva County High School.
RELATED: Emmanuel Henderson is a rising prospect everyone needs to know
Henderson rushed for 2,000 yards and 46 touchdowns as a 10th grader, and he had seven D1 offers by the end of the 2019 high school football season. When recruiting services began to rate 2022 prospects, the Hartford, Alabama product saw his name near the top of most recruiting rankings. He has held onto his spot as one of the top high school running backs in the nation, but his versatility has some wondering what position he will play once he enrolls at the University of Alabama.
Nick Saban was asked about Alabama’s plan for Henderson during his press conference on National Signing Day, and he made it clear the door was open for Henderson to be used in a variety of ways.
“Emmanuel is a great athlete,” Saban said. “He played a lot of positions in high school. I have asked him on numerous occasions what do you want to play and he just says he will play wherever you need me to play. I think the guy has special athletic ability, probably could be a receiver, probably could be a running back. Where he fits the best, We will probably be able to figure out better once he gets here and we start working with him.”
Touchdown Alabama caught up with Henderson at the Under Armour All-America practices this week, and he echoed what Saban said.
“I just want to be on the field to help the team out, whatever I can do to help the team win,” said Henderson. “I want to be in the best position to be successful.”
The five-star prospect was listed at 6-foot-1 and 185 pounds on the Under Armour All-America roster. He shined throughout the week catching the ball out of the backfield. Geneva County has allowed him to line up at slot wide receiver and run routes throughout his career, and it has helped Henderson develop into a versatile prospect. The Alabama signee said he has no problem with playing wide receiver if Alabama needs him there.”
“I will definitely play there,” Henderson said. “I can catch it and run it.”
Alabama 5-Star RB signee, Emmanuel Henderson @emmanuelhende17 with the one-handed grab during day 2 of Under Armour All-America practice.
Henderson has looked really natural catching the ball out of the backfield this week. pic.twitter.com/frUOGSHYQJ
— Justin Smith (@Jdsmith31Smith) December 31, 2021
Henderson plans to enroll at the University of Alabama during the summer. He has spent the last week competing against some of the top players in the country, and he has embraced the challenge.
“It means a lot to be here,” Henderson told Touchdown Alabama. “It is truly a blessing to get to compete against all of the top players in the country. It is a great experience. Being around my future teammates makes it even better. It has been fun. I have seen a lot of great competition, but I have still been able to do what I do. I have made some great runs. I feel everything has gone great.”
Watch Highlights From Emmanuel Henderson Senior Season Below:
Henderson and eight of his future teammates will play in the Under Armour All-America Game Sunday in Orlando Florida. Kickoff is set for 1 p.m. CST, and the game will be aired on ESPN. Henderson will wear No. 4 and will represent Team Legends.
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Justin Smith is a Scouting/Recruiting analyst for Touchdown Alabama Magazine. You can follow him on Twitter, via @Jdsmith31Smith
