In an ideal world, LaDarius Henderson wouldn’t have had to play such an extensive amount during his freshman year at Arizona State. While Henderson didn’t expect to redshirt coming into 2019, he said he would have been content if the Sun Devils’ plan for his true freshman season included that.
Yet a rash of injuries and shuffling along the offensive line for the Sun Devils led Henderson to a starting spot at left tackle during ASU’s road upset of Michigan State.
“The unfortunate thing is that our depth was so poor a year ago that we were forced into a position where he had to play for us right away,” offensive line coach Dave Christensen explained. “Even though he probably wasn’t ready to play at that time he went out and battled extremely hard each and every game.”
Despite being placed in a starting spot earlier than anticipated, Henderson won’t concede any feeling of being overwhelmed by the competition.
“Even some games where it may have looked like I wasn’t ready, I never felt like I was not ready no matter who I was going against or how big the [defensive] end was,” Henderson told Devils Digest. “I felt prepared for this from even high school. I’ve never felt overwhelmed in a game or just outmatched. I am an extremely confident person, so I felt ready for it.”
In his first start in a hostile environment against the Spartans, Henderson matched up with one of the best defenders in the Big Ten, Kenny Willekes. A few weeks later, he matched up with Utah’s Bradley Anae, in a game the entire ASU offensive line struggled in a 21-3 loss to the Utes.
“He was playing against premier pass rushers on that side of the field with the blindside of the quarterback,” Christensen said, as Henderson started 10 games for the Sun Devils last year. “That was always a huge challenge, and we had to find ways at times to try to help him out in protection. His lack of being in the strength and conditioning program for an extended period of time, he just wasn’t physically developed as much as a guy you’d want to put out there.”
Last fall, the 17-year-old (Henderson turned 18 in December) from Waxahachie, Texas, was playing just his third year of organized football. As one of the youngest starting offensive linemen in college football, Henderson was tasked with protecting the blindside of Jayden Daniels, whom head coach Herm Edwards has said the program is building its offense around.
In his brief football journey, Henderson began playing football as a junior in high school. At the time, the 6-foot-4 Henderson was in need of a massive weight and strength gain. In order to get into football shape, he underwent a rigorous program of workouts and eating.
“Where I grew the most, and I guess made the largest jump in my physical development was from the offseason before my junior season because that was my first year ever playing,” Henderson remarked. “I went from 195 [pounds] to 280.”
Each morning, his alarm clock would go off at 4 a.m. Not to wake up, but rather to eat.
“I would set an alarm clock about two hours earlier than I actually had to wake up, and I would eat breakfast,” Henderson said laughing at the memory. “I actually would go back to sleep, and when I’d wake up at the normal time, I would eat breakfast again, and then I would work out.”
Throughout each day, Henderson would continue that process. Eating and working out. The process was repetitive but helped expedite his development. During each of Waxahachie High School’s eight class periods Henderson would eat a peanut butter and jelly sandwich.
For as much time and effort went into feeding himself enough to grow, Henderson also needed to learn the techniques necessary to play on the offensive line. With an extreme willingness to learn and adapt, something Christensen said stills exists, Henderson has been able to make large jumps in ability and understanding along with a development in the Sun Devils’ strength and conditioning program.
“Right now, I’m at a weight that I enjoy being at for this year,” explained Henderson, who is now listed at 305 pounds ahead of the 2020 season. “I don’t have to gain weight, and I don’t have to worry about an eating schedule that is that rigorous. Back then, when I was only working on the very basic things and getting my body right to where it could be so that I was capable of even competing period.
“I can definitely relax for an hour without cramming a peanut butter and jelly sandwich, but the training part is more difficult now.”
Multiple times throughout last fall, head coach Herm Edwards expressed a need for the Sun Devils to explore the transfer portal and graduate transfer route to find more bodies on the offensive and defensive line. Heading into this season, ASU added Kellen Diesch from Texas A&M and Henry Hattis from Stanford as graduate transfers, providing more potential competition for Henderson at the left tackle position.
“There’s pros and cons to starting as a freshman as an offensive lineman,” said Henderson, a former three-star prospect according to Rivals. “They’ve done a great job on getting my body looking like and feeling like what it should be to not necessarily have had a whole year just to work on that.”
Both Henderson and Christensen insist there remains room for growth both mentally and physically for Henderson. Given an offseason with limited workouts due to the coronavirus, Henderson said he felt the program did its best to set him up for success, and more reps will continue to increase his knowledge of the sport.
As the Sun Devils prepare for the 2020 season, Henderson said he’s excited for the opportunity to protect for sophomore quarterback Jayden Daniels, his now roommate. With a greater understanding for the basics of the position, Henderson said he’s eyeing growth in the smaller details of his game.
“The little things really turn into the big things and separate bad players from OK players, OK players from good players, and good players from great players,” Henderson remarked, lauding his relationship with Daniels. “We are super close. I would consider him to be like a brother to me. Him being as athletic as he is, that doesn’t necessarily change anything that I do because if I had Tom Brady back there, who is substantially less athletic than Jayden, doesn’t necessarily change the way I block. I just have to protect him to the best of my ability.”
Join your fellow Sun Devil fans on our premium message board, the Devils’ Huddle, to discuss this article and other ASU football and recruiting topics. Not a member yet? Sign up today here and get all the latest Sun Devil news!
