Florida 2027 4-star LB Kaden Henderson covers recruiting visits

Kaden Henderson is a 4-star beast roaming Florida gridirons.

Kaden Henderson at FSU with head coach Mike Norvell. / Henderson family

Safety, any of the linebacker positions, nickel, and edge rusher – pick a spot and Kaden Henderson flourishes on the gridiron. The four-star defender for Tampa Jesuit (FL) neared the 100-tackle milestone during his sophomore campaign putting fear in the opposition as that heads up player that brings the pop to the hit party. The play on the field has the Class of 2027 recruit over 20 offers with teams pushing to get the prized prospect on campus.

If you haven’t seen Henderson (6-2, 210) play, think Quentin Coryatt (Texas A&M) “The Hit” on Kyle McPherson or Steve Atwater (Arkansas) roaming sideline to sideline with the ability to come downhill in a heartbeat.

“This season I was basically lining up in the box, but they sometimes had me at safety depending on the looks,” Henderson said. “I am versatile. Last year I was coming off the edge, but we switched up our defense this year. I was in the box mainly this year with three to four snaps at safety in each game.”

Henderson continued, “Over the offseason I got stronger; I can see that on film. I was backing guys up on hits. I was hitting them, and they were going back. I was bringing guys down last year but not with the same force as this year.”

The do-all nature of Henderson’s skills will allow college coaches to use him in multiple ways.

“They like how versatile I am,” Henderson stated. “A lot of schools want me as a middle linebacker. They love my versatility, that they can use me in different packages, and that I can play every down. Coaches like that I can go in coverage. They really like my length. When I get measured a colleges, I have an 82-inch wingspan – they love my length.”

Same names you may have heard of got Henderson over the 20-offer mark.

“My recent offers were from Penn State, Ohio State, Alabama, and Florida,” Henerson shared.

An SEC powerhouse may be the next program to offer.

“I talk to Georgia frequently,” Henderson said. "Clemson is showing interest, but they don’t normally offer until the summer of a player’s junior year. This spring there are schools coming to check me out. I can’t talk to coaches; they can’t contact me yet. Troy Bowles, he was at Georgia; he just entered the transfer portal, but he was talking to them for me.”

A couple of Big Ten teams are already laying the groundwork for a strong relationship with Henderson.

“Oregon and Ohio State, I’m contacting them,” Henderson shared. “Florida State too. My favorite guy there, their defensive coordinator (Adam Fuller) just got fired. Florida State was my first offer. I am still in contact with them. Alabama, I talk to their recruiting specialist a lot too.”

Henderson expanded on his rapport with the Ducks’ staff, “It was really hard at first because of the distance. I went to the Ohio State game, that was one of the best games I’ve been to. I started talking to their linebackers coach, then he came down to see me in Tampa; that meant a lot to me him coming down on that long flight. One of their coaches saw me and offered me at a mega camp. He was a cool guy. We talk about life; we talk about things besides football. We talk about once a week.”

A trip to Columbus made an impact on Henderson.

“When I went to Ohio State, that was one of the best experiences I’ve had,” Henderson shared. “The amount of love they showed. I have been talking to their assistant linebackers coach; he is showing me love. We are chopping it up about the year and how they can see me in their defense.”

In addition to traveling to Oregon and Ohio State, Henderson also made stops at Oklahoma, Florida, Alabama, Georgia, and Clemson for games.

Asked about the best crowd energy he experienced during his travels this fall, Henderson replied, “That is so hard. At the Ohio State game, I was there for Purdue, that is not a big game for them but you could tell that Ohio State is one of the best.

“The best was probably Oregon; I’m not going to lie. The stadium is not that big, but it is packed. It was crazy. That was probably the best one.”

Staying in the Sunshine State for early 2025 trips is in the works.

“I don’t have any set right now, but I have some in mind,” Henderson stated. “I have been talking to Florida State and Florida this week, talking about when to get me up. I will go to Florida State soon and I will go to Florida for a Junior Day. I will go to other schools, maybe later on.”

Possible top schools list coming from IMG Academy 4-star WDE Jake Kreul in January

Old school Virginia CB Khalid Rainer on the way to 30 offers