Penn State picks up pledge from top-150 talent Alvin Henderson

UPDATE: Penn State has landed Alvin Henderson. He details why here.

Original story:

It’s decision day for Class of 2025 recruit Alvin Henderson. The 5-foot-9, 195-pound four-star running. back from Elba, Ala., High will pick between a handful of finalists, including Penn State, today.

“When I was a freshman, I was like, I want offers, and as the process goes on, eventually, you have to make a decision, and I’m at that point now,” Henderson said on On3’s Five Star Flex with Philip Dukes. “I visited everywhere I had in my top five, I’ve talked to all the coaches multiple times, and now I’m at the point where it’s time for me to go where I feel wanted and where, also, I’m going to fit well system wise and somewhere I’m at home.”

Head coach James Franklin’s team starts the day with 11 verbal commitments in the Class of 2025, including three-star running backs Tiqwai Hayes and Kiandrea Barker, which is good for the No. 15 spot in the On3 Industry Team Rankings. Will the Lions land their third ball carrier in this cycle on Thursday? Let’s take a look at Henderson’s upcoming announcement.

When is Alvin Henderson announcing his college pick?

A time for the announcement has not been set yet. But, an afternoon announcement is likely. Blue-White Illustrated will update this section once that information is available. Henderson will reveal his choice on his personal Instagram feed, which can be found here.

Who are the contenders besides Penn State?

Henderson announced a top five in March. It included the Nittany Lions, Auburn, Miami, Florida State and Oregon. At that point in time, he was set to make his pick on July 13. But, after a number of spring visits that included three trips to see the Tigers and one each to see the Nittany Lions, Hurricanes, and Seminoles in addition to a stop at Florida, the senior-to-be decided he had seen everything he needed to. Thus, he is deciding a few months earlier than originally planned.

It should be noted that Henderson told On3’s Five Star Flex with Philip Dukes that he intends to take official visits down the road despite committing today.

What does the On3 Recruiting Prediction Machine say?

On3 Director of Recruiting Chad Simmons and On3 Vice President of Recruiting and Transfer Portal Steve Wiltfong have both logged On3 Recruiting Prediction Machine picks in favor of Penn State. It has helped the Lions, who just hosted Henderson last weekend, surge by longtime leader Auburn. Those two schools appear to be at the front of the line to land the running back.

What has Henderson said about his finalists?

Lions head coach James Franklin and running backs coach Ja’Juan Seider have spearheaded this recruiting for Penn State. Henderson connected with both during his recent trip to campus.

“I took this visit because Coach (James) Franklin and Coach J wanted me to come up because they know that I’m a huge priority to them and feel like I could come in and be a huge asset to the team,” Henderson told Wiltfong.

“Really and truly the big takeaways from this visit was that I could go up somewhere, where it’s known as a traditional RBU and be the next great running back in the program.”

Speaking with BWI sister site Auburn Live back in March, Henderson spoke highly of his relationship with Tigers head coach Hugh Freeze.

“He’s been my guy since day one,” Henderson said. “(I like Auburn) because of the relationship I’ve built with Coach Freeze. Because when Coach (Bryan) Harsin was here, I really didn’t communicate with Auburn. When Coach Freeze came in, he showed me and my family that I was his No. 1 guy.

“He feels like I can be the person to come in and help build the class and obviously recruit another great running back and then everybody else at a position we need. (Freeze) told me he wants to take two (running backs).”

Where can I learn the latest on Henderson’s announcement throughout the day?

Blue-White Illustrated subscribers can learn more all day long inside The Lions Den forum. Not a subscriber but want to become one? Follow THIS LINK to sign up for Blue-White Illustrated. It’s just $1 for one month of access. You get premium team news, insider recruiting intel, the latest Penn State transfer portal news, the Lions Den message board, and so much more.