Clemson Signee Delivers Massive State Title Game Effort Despite Loss
By: Robert MacRae December 15, 2024

A talented and versatile Clemson signee went off with a huge performance in his high school team’s state title game on Saturday.

Despite Belton-Honea Path’s 35-17 loss to Oceanside Collegiate in the 3A state championship, BHP’s Marquise Henderson – a member of Clemson’s 2025 signing class – had himself a monster day statistically.

Henderson finished with 188 rushing yards on 42 carries and scored on a 3-yard touchdown run in the second quarter.

Henderson, a unanimous four-star prospect, is ranked by the 247Sports Composite as the No. 199 overall player in the nation, the 15th-best running back and the No. 5 player in South Carolina for the 2025 class.

“Man, he’s just a football player. I mean, he’s just a football player,” Clemson head coach Dabo Swinney said of Henderson on Early Signing Day. “He can do so many things. He plays way bigger than he is. He’s so fast. I’m just really glad we got him. I think there’s a lot of opportunity with a guy like him.”

A four-year starter, Henderson entered the early signing period just shy of 8,000 all-purpose yards over 47 career games. He averaged a remarkable 11 yards per rush on 577 career carries for 6,369 yards prior to Early Signing Day on Dec. 4.

Henderson was named to the South Carolina team for the 2024 Shrine Bowl, and he came into Early Signing Day credited with 148 carries for 1,775 yards and 23 touchdowns in his senior season this year.

Henderson signed with Clemson as an athlete, and what position he will play for the Tigers is still to be determined. The 5-foot-10, 170-pounder could line up at wide receiver, running back and/or cornerback, and potentially return kicks as well.

He’s slated to enroll early at Clemson in January, which will give him the opportunity to go through spring ball.

“We’ll probably start him out on the offensive side of the ball and just go from there,” Swinney said. “There’s a lot of terminology and a lot of things you’ve got to learn on the offensive side. Not that there’s not a lot on defense, but corner is a little easier than coming over and learning all the stuff that you’ve got to learn within an offensive system. So, we’ll probably start him out there, certainly look at him as a returner as well. He’s coming in midyear, so if he stays healthy, we’ll get a good evaluation on him this spring.”