Junior offensive lineman Eli Henderson visited Fayetteville on Friday and Saturday and that was enough to convince him to commit to the Razorbacks.
Henderson, 6-4, 285 pounds, of Duncan (S.C.) Byrnes, and his parents first met Coach Sam Pittman while attending a Georgia summer camp last year and received his first offer. Pittman extended a second offer to him after less than two weeks on the job at Arkansas.
Because of the NCAA dead period, Henderson wasn’t able to visit with the Razorback staff or visit the inside of the facilities. He said he pledged to the Razorbacks because of Pittman and offensive line coach Brad Davis.
“I believe in what they guys are doing,” Henderson said. “They believe in me. I’m not a guy that goes out and chases offers and try to get a whole lot of clout around my name. If I know what I like and know what I want I go after it.”
Henderson said he called Davis to tell him the good news.
“I said, 'I’m done with this. I’m a Razorback,' and he freaked out and slammed on his brakes and parked somewhere and he called Coach Pittman and put me on the phone with him,” Henderson added. “I talked to Coach Pittman for about an hour. It was a great talk about the future.”
He said he’s focused on helping get Byrnes to the state title.
“It was like a huge weight lifted off of my shoulders,” Henderson said. “I know I’m at the right place and know I’m in the right hands.”
Henderson also has an offer from Arizona State as well as interest from Penn State, Texas, Tennessee, Notre Dame, Oklahoma, Virginia, Virginia Tech, South Carolina, Clemson and others.
National recruiting analyst Tom Lemming of CBS Sports Network believes Henderson can play guard or tackle in college.
“He’s a four-star talent with terrific versatility and great technique,” Lemming said. “I loved him on film. Aggressive and non-stop until the whistle.”
Henderson was leaning towards the Razorbacks before making his way to Fayetteville. He said he knew he was going to be a Razorback after the first day of his trip to Arkansas.
“Before I was out here, I was really, really thinking about it and really considering it,” Henderson said. “I told my mom and my dad I really wanted to commit there, but they told me, 'You need to stand in the place and see what it looks like,' and I agreed with them and we went out there.
"After looking out over the stadium I just stood there and I was like, 'Man, I could own this. This is mine. This is my place.'”
Henderson, who has a 315-pound bench press and a 450-pound squat, is the third commitment in Arkansas' 2022 class.