Clemson signee Marquise Henderson thrills in Upper State Championship

Henderson scored three more touchdowns Friday night.

David Hood - Senior Writer - Saturday, December 07 2024

A football player. That’s Clemson head coach Dabo Swinney’s description of Class of 2025 signee Marquise Henderson of Belton-Honea Path, and Henderson has one more game to play in his storied high school career.

In a clash of titans, Henderson and BHP defeated Mountain View Prep (MVP) 30-22 in the Upper State Championship Friday night at Hillcrest High School. The Bears took an early 7-0 lead on Henderson’s 32-yard touchdown run (he broke outside of a double-tight set, hurdled a guy on the edge, and went to the house). However, MVP took a 16-7 lead into the half.

The Bears added a third-quarter field goal to make it 16-10, and then Henderson leaked out on a wheel route for a 30-yard touchdown reception from Noah Thomas to make it 17-16 Bears. Following a late interception, Henderson burst through the middle for an 81-yard touchdown run that made it 24-16. However, MVP returned the kickoff for a touchdown, missed the 2-point conversion, and a late turnover turned into a Bears’ score on a Henderson return for the 30-22 final.

The Bears will play Oceanside Collegiate for the state championship at South Carolina State next.

Henderson (his first name is pronounced “MARK-wehz.”) fashioned a stellar career for the Bears, and it was during a 28-23 loss to Daniel in the AAA playoffs last season that Swinney and the Clemson coaches knew for certain they had someone special – Henderson carried the ball 30 times for 221 yards and three touchdowns.

“That was one of the last little check marks on him. And just you're not like, what is he? Right? What is he? I mean, he's got his whole future ahead of him,” Swinney said this week. “That's our job to figure out what he is. But man, he's a football player. I mean, he's just a football player. He can do so many things. He plays way bigger than he is. He's so fast. And I'm just really, really glad we got him.

“I think there was a lot of opportunity with a guy like him, similar to Tink (Misun Kelley). Tink is a guy that Clemson people really know a lot about him yet, but he didn't get to do anything last year. So we're really just in that process with Tink. Tink’s a little thicker, maybe not quite as fast, but just as electric and as dynamic when we're in that process with him and developing him and getting him to the point where we can make sure we are asking him to do the right things. And Quise (pronounced Quess) is the same way. You better get your hands on him or it's going to be a house call.”

The big question surrounding Henderson is where he will play at the next level. Henderson is just shy of 8,000 all-purpose yards over 47 career games and has averaged an incredible 11 yards per rush on 577 career carries for 6,369 yards (prior to Friday night).

Wide receiver? Running back? Cornerback? Kick returner?

“We'll probably start him out on the offensive side of the ball and just go from there. There's a lot of terminology and a lot of things you have got to learn on the offensive side,” Swinney said. “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 have to learn within an offensive system. So, we'll probably start him out there and certainly look at him as a returner as well. And the same thing, he's coming in midyear, so if he stays healthy, we'll get a good evaluation on him.”

A beast of a run called back due to Marquise Henderson stepping out of bounds near midfield. pic.twitter.com/OW4HDkwsaR
— Cole Bryson (@TheColeBryson) December 7, 2024