2021 Virginia Five-Star Running Back TreVeyon Henderson Commits To Ohio State

Ohio State added one of the nation’s best prospects to its top-rated recruiting haul when Hopewell, Va., five-star running back TreVeyon Henderson announced his commitment to the Buckeyes on Friday night.

The 5-11, 195-pound Henderson is considered the second-best running back and No. 17 prospect overall in the class of 2021, as he rushed for 2,424 yards and 45 touchdowns to lead the Blue Devils to the state championship last season. He picked Ohio State over finalists Georgia, Michigan, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Penn State, Texas, Virginia and Virginia Tech.

Henderson — the commonwealth’s Gatorade Player of the Year — landed an offer from running backs coach Tony Alford last September, though it’s worth nothing his relationship with the staff actually dates back to when linebackers coach/area recruiter Al Washington was with the Wolverines. They teamed up with head coach Ryan Day to make Henderson one of their top priorities, and that’s a big reason why he committed to the Buckeyes without ever stepping foot on campus.

Henderson was actually supposed to take an unofficial visit in April, but that won’t happen after the Big Ten announced there will be no organized team activities until May 4 at the earliest amid the worldwide coronavirus outbreak. But he won’t be the first running back to pledge his services to Ohio State sight unseen, as school single-season rushing record holder J.K. Dobbins did the same thing in February 2016.

Henderson becomes the 15th member of the Buckeyes’ 2021 recruiting class, joining Cornelius (N.C.) William Amos Hough four-star Evan Pryor at the running back position. While it’s now likely the Buckeyes are done at running back this cycle, they are still considered the favorite at this time to land West Bloomfield, Mich., four-star Donovan Edwards.

Whether or not Ohio State can make the numbers work to fit three running backs into one class or if Edwards would want to join a group that already includes two of the nation’s best remains to be seen, however. If not, the Bulldogs and Wolverines would be the biggest beneficiaries of Henderson’s decision.