Elite 2021 DE Denhoff Still Hot on Trail, Has Early Leader
More than 30 college football programs have seen enough of Cade Denhoff to offer him a scholarship before his junior year wraps up.
The Lakeland (Fla.) Christian defensive end, listed at 6-foot-5, 230 pounds, is coming off of a 2019 season in which he registered 11 sacks, 10 tackles for loss and nearly 100 tackles overall.
Several in the SEC have added names to the list since Friday as the contact period opened up and coaches across the country hit the recruiting trail.
"I've had three SEC offers in the last week and a half," Denhoff told SI All-American. "It was Georgia, first, then Ole Miss and now Auburn.
"Georgia was really exciting because I have a lot of family in Athens. My mom sort of grew up a Georgia fan and I've been in touch with Coach (Dan) Lanning for a while."
The Bulldog offer, in particular, made an impact on the current state of Denhoff's recruitment.
"I went to the Notre Dame game in September so I've had a connection with them for a while," he said. "This offer is impacting my recruitment a little bit, sort of reevaluated my recruitment..."
For the long haul, Georgia and all others continue to chase Clemson, which signed another Lakeland native in SI All-American Demarckus Bowman in December.
"Pretty much. It's just my relationship with them," Denhoff said of CU. "Plus my mom went to high school with Brent Venables, so that's kind of how it all started when I went to their camp as a freshman. Since then, I just kind of fell in love with their program, coaching and culture. And obviously they're winners.
"Last time I was up there was for the Boston College game, October 26 I think it was. I'll actually be back up there this Saturday for their elite junior day. We're staying in Greenville so we'll be in South Carolina until Sunday night."
Another SEC program in the mix, LSU, made a mark in Denhoff's recruitment. Of course the SEC West Tigers just topped the ACC's Tigers for the national championship this month.
How did Denhoff take in a game featuring perhaps the top two teams in the mix for his commitment?
"I just kind of watched it as a really good game to watch," he said. "Two really good teams and two really good programs. I've been hot on LSU for a while. I always had a good relationship with Clemson but when LSU came onto the scene, their defensive line coach, Coach (Bill) Johnson and Coach (Ed) Orgeron -- I spoke with them probably twice a week on the phone.
"Clemson is still the leader but LSU is probably the biggest one after that."
One of the top pass rushers in the state of Florida, Denhoff is considering an early verbal commitment. He does not have any additional trips set beyond this weekend's stop at Clemson.
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