Such is the nature of collegiate sports that the carousel of players hopping on and off is perpetual. A class of freshmen is taking over from departing graduates. Nearsightedness is a cardinal sin in this sport, and focus has swiftly pivoted over to the class of ‘26. Coaches are hitting the road for off-campus visits. Parallely, recruits are reciprocating the efforts with on-campus ones. The no. 9 EDGE in his class, touted by nearly every blueblood in the country, just made one to Baton Rouge. HC Brian Kelly will be pleased to know his subordinate, edge rushers’ coach Kevin Peoples, more than left an impression on the prospect.

If there’s one position group that has ascended in importance year after year, it’s the edge rushers. As the game moves towards more passing-based scheming offensively, rushing the quarterback with potency becomes, quite literally, game-breaking. Football is still won and lost in the trenches, at the line of scrimmage. That cliché even rang true in the Super Bowl as Jalen Carter and co. mobbed Patrick Mahomes all evening. Rendering even the best QB in the sport futile. Brian Kelly recognizes the importance of a big-time defensive end and hosted one this week. The issue for him is Coach Kelly isn’t the only one who acknowledges this. Michigan and Georgia, 2 schools fabled for developing linemen, are in the fray as well. Among a plethora of others.

The prospect garnering all this interest is 4-star Trenton Henderson. The Florida native out of Pensacola made the first of his 5 unofficial visits to Baton Rouge over the weekend. Alongside 5 OVs on his itinerary, with all of these scattered over the spring and summer. At 6’5, 225 lb, Trenton Henderson has the physical tangibles on lock. Brian Kelly and Kevin Peoples will tell you they’ll take care of the rest. Henderson’s father spoke to On3’s Steve Wiltfong in the aftermath of their visit. The Tigers faithful, who’ve been wagging their proverbial tails all off-season boasting the No. 1 portal class in the country, will be pleased to hear what he said.

“It was a great trip, [Trenton] liked it,” said Henderson Sr. “He liked Coach Peoples and seeing the way he coached. He was an intense coach as far as attention to details and stuff like that. I think that was the main thing, him finally getting to see the coaches in action was pretty good for him.” Henderson also spoke about why LSU is an enticing landing spot beyond merely the football.  “The atmosphere was a homey atmosphere… It felt like a place I could see him at. Then also just the food. Baton Rouge had some good food!” Whatever the reasoning, Brian Kelly won’t mind as long as he gets his man. The father also explicitly said they’ll seek to accommodate another visit to LSU down the line.

Ann Arbor hosts Trenton Henderson next. Followed by a trip to Athens and the Georgia Bulldogs to close out March. Neither is an official trip, with those commencing in May. The aforementioned Jalen Carter, a Georgia alum, is one of many reasons why they’re a frontrunner in this recruiting process. In fact, almost the entirety of the Eagles’ D-line was developed under Kirby Smart in Georgia. 

Conversely, Michigan HC Sherrone Moore himself, being a former lineman, is a key facet worth considering.  DE Kenneth Grant is a Wolverine slated to be a lottery pick in the upcoming NFL Draft. Both schools have plenty of ammo that coach Kelly will have to contend with to land Henderson. Not to mention, a number of other adversaries are circling around the prospect. Essentially, all of these are blue-chips programs.

Trenton Henderson’s proposed visits will keep Brian Kelly on edge (no pun intended!)

Apart from these 3 unofficials, Trenton Henderson will also visit USC and Texas. No respite for Brian Kelly whatsoever. USC currently has a Top 2-ranked recruiting class for 2026, and Henderson will slide right in. Lincoln Riley’s program has been making a lot of noise on the west coast since hiring a messiah figure in the front office. As for the Texas Longhorns, their reputation precedes the burnt orange shadow they cast over their contemporaries. Despite having an offensive-minded HC in Steve Sarkisian, Texas’ MO throughout last season was their defense. Henderson will have plenty of opportunities to feature and develop if he picks Austin. Which segues into his official visits, which see a trend. 4 of the 5 campuses reside in the SEC.

The “Loveliest Village on the Plains” had had little love in return from prospects over the years. But the dynamic is seemingly shifting. Auburn will be the first OV on Trenton Henderson’s schedule. He’ll be there on May 16th. HC Hugh Freeze has been getting busy this offseason, knowing he’s under duress to save his rep as well as his job. Following this, Henderson visits Vanderbilt, Alabama and Florida. Bama naturally stands out, but don’t sleep on his in-state Florida either. Speaking of which, he’ll close out this 5-stop trip in Tallahassee with Florida State.

Trenton Henderson has a huge few months beckoning. The decision looming over his chiseled yet young shoulders holds a lot of weight. Brian Kelly and Kevin Peoples are very much in the mix, but their path is far from linear. Remains to be seen what comes of the other 9 visits now that the tone is set. As well as whether LSU receives another bite at the cherry.