Miami, which plays at Ohio State on Sept. 11, is probably the most likely destination for Henderson.
The big man is free.
Offensive tackle Seantrel Henderson, ranked by some recruiting ratings as the No. 2 recruit in the Class of 2010, has been released from his National Letter of Intent by USC in light of the recent NCAA sanctions placed on the Trojans.
"We are releasing Seantrel Henderson out of his national letter of intent with zero penalties and no restrictions," USC coach Lane Kiffin said in a statement. "Seantrel has been great through the whole process and we wish him the best of luck with his decision."
Seantrel HendersonHenderson also strongly considered Miami and Ohio State during his recruitment but chose USC while believing that the Trojans would not be hit that hard by the NCAA. But when USC was banned from bowl games for two years, which will cost players valuable postseason practice time as well as bowl trips, and assessed scholarships reductions that will reduce the overall talent depth at USC for a few years, Henderson wanted out.
Evidence exists of Kiffin expressing confidence during his recruiting pitch to Henderson that USC would not be hit very harshly by the NCAA. That perhaps could have come in handy if the Henderson family had pushed USC, or appealed to the NCAA, for Henderson to be released if the school had denied that request.
If he had not been released, Henderson would have been treated like any transfer. He could have gone to another school but would have been forced to sit out a season.
Now, Henderson is back on the recruiting market.
And he spent the weekend in Miami, according to a source. The Hurricanes finished second in the original recruiting race, so don't get your hopes up Ohio State fans. But maybe the Buckeyes will get to see Henderson - when Miami plays in Columbus on Sept. 11.
Miami is looking to replace three starters on the offensive line, and if Henderson makes a decision and gets in for preseason camp, you'd have to imagine it's at least possible that he's making a contribution by the second week of the season.
As for whether the Buckeyes SHOULD take Henderson if he was still interested, I think it's a no-brainer. It's easy to give up on a kid who turns his recruitment into a saga. But all Henderson has done is make an original questionable decision, choosing USC when sanctions were looming. If his choice the second time around was Ohio State, he'd be worth the wait and any risk.