Texas RB target Treveyon Henderson commits to Ohio State

In a week on the recruiting trail that also included Lamar Consolidated running back Brandon Campbell removing the Texas Longhorns from consideration, the Horns took a bigger hit on Friday evening when Hopewell (Va.) running back Treveyon Henderson committed to the Ohio State Buckeyes.

The news hardly came as a shock — Henderson tweeted on Thursday that he’d made up his mind as 247Sports Crystal Ball picks rolled in favoring the Buckeyes — but it was a disappointment because the Longhorns were considered a legitimate contender for his services.

In fact, Texas was set to host the nation’s No. 2 running back in the 247Sports Composite rankings for an official visit next month, a strong signal fo Henderson’s interest in the Longhorns.

However, the coronavirus pandemic was likely to keep that visit from happening and Henderson committed to the Buckeyes visit ever traveling to Columbus — in any other year, that would represent a major recruiting anomaly, but in the time of COVID-19, it could become increasingly common, especially if the pandemic continues unabated over the coming months.

After offering Henderson last month, the Horns were also a longshot, so an out-of-state prospect committing to a program that has had much more recent success isn’t too surprising. And there are still key targets left on the board for running backs coach Stan Drayton, including another consensus five-star prospect in Camar Wheaton, as well as LJ Johnson and Jonathon Brooks.

With each player who eliminates Texas or commits to another program, however, the pressure increases on Drayton to land two talented recruits in the 2021 cycle.