Arizona State lineman LaDarius Henderson accepts Shrine game invite
Arizona State offensive lineman LaDarius Henderson appears headed to greener pastures after this season.
The 6-foot-5, 310-pounder has accepted an invitation to the East-West Shrine Bowl game to be held on Feb. 2 at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas. That invitation would indicate that Henderson does not plan to use the one year of eligibility he has left after this season.
The bowl game put Henderson's acceptance of the invitation out on social media today.
Henderson has 29 career starts, six of those this season at left guard. Henderson, one of ASU's team captains, is currently injured, having sustained a broken bone in his hand in the second half of the game against Washington on Oct. 8 that required surgery. He has missed the last three games and has not practiced this week although the injury wasn't considered season-ending.
The Sun Devils (3-6, 2-4) play at Washington State at 1:30 p.m. on Saturday, then are home next week against Oregon State before rounding out the regular season with the Territorial Cup game against Arizona in Tucson Thanksgiving weekend.
Scout report: Sun Devils hit the road to play Washington State
In his six games this season Henderson has been credited with four quarterback pressures allowed — tied for 15th among all FBS guards.
Henderson burst onto the scene in 2019 as a true freshman, surprisingly earning a starting spot at left tackle in the third game of the season. He made his collegiate debut in the upset road victory over No. 18 Michigan State, playing well on the final drive of the game in which the Sun Devils took the late lead.
The school had planned to redshirt him but injuries forced him into the lineup earlier than expected. He is young both age-wise and in terms of football experience. He did not start playing football until his junior year of high school at Waxahachie High School in Texas.
Henderson turns 21 in December. He played his first year of college football at 17, turning 18 after his freshman season ended.
The Sun Devil standout has played both tackle and guard in 2020 but started all 13 games in 2021 at left guard, playing all but 12 snaps the entire season (of ASU's 813 snaps). He allowed just 10 quarterback pressures in the regular season, tied for fourth-fewest among Pac-12 offensive guards and among the top 50 fewest among all guards in the FBS.
Scouts like his physical build, with his long arms being an advantage in blocking in the interior. He also has good agility, explosiveness and foot speed.
Reach the reporter at Michelle.Gardner@gannett.com or 602 444-4783. Follow her on Twitter @MGardnerSports.
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This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Arizona State football's LaDarius Henderson accepts Shrine game invite
