College Football's No. 1 LB Sweepstakes Down to Three National Powerhouses

These three college football programs are the finalists to receive the commitment of the No. 1 linebacker in the class of 2027.

Kaden Henderson of Jesuit High in Florida during a Clemson football recruiting visit before kickoff with LSU | Ken Ruinard / USA Today Network South Carolina / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The number of uncommitted prospects in the 2027 recruiting cycle is beginning to dwindle.

A large portion of these prospects made their college decisions before taking visits, many of whom were five-stars. Rivals currently reports that only a quarter of all five-star prospects in the class are uncommitted.

Linebacker Kaden Henderson is among the precious few uncommitted five-star prospects in the class. The 6-foot, 225-pounder from Tampa, Florida, ranks as the No. 1 linebacker, No. 4 prospect in Florida and No. 26 prospect in the class, per Rivals.

In three seasons of high school football, Henderson has registered 219 tackles, 29 tackles for loss, nine sacks, nine pass breakups, five forced fumbles, a pair of fumble recoveries and a trio of interceptions. Henderson was a participant in both the 2026 Under Armour All-America Game and Polynesian Bowl.

247Sports director of scouting Andrew Ivins noted that Henderson "plays a violent brand of football as he strikes and finishes" and highlighted his ability to "stalk ball carriers from the shelf and cut off run paths" in a scouting report from January.

The race for Henderson's commitment took a new turn on Friday when Zach Blostein of 247Sports reported that Miami bowed out of his recruitment. Four-star linebackers AJ Randle Jr. and Noah Glover and three-star linebacker Jayvon Dawson all committed to the Hurricanes in May.

With that development, Henderson is officially down to three finalists in his college recruitment.

SEC programs in pursuit

Texas A&M Aggies head coach Mike Elko reacts on the sideline during the second quarter against the South Carolina Gamecocks | Troy Taormina-Imagn Images

LSU was the first of Henderson's official visits back on April 23. The Tigers offered Henderson in late March of 2025, and he maintained interest in them despite the coaching change from Brian Kelly to Lane Kiffin.

Many of LSU's early commitments are from offensive prospects, but it made a splash earlier this month on the defensive end. Four-star prospect KJ Green, the No. 9 defensive end in the class, committed to the Tigers on June 7.

Henderson's other official visit to an SEC program was at Texas A&M on June 5. The Aggies offered Henderson in January of 2025 and have hosted him on a pair of official visits over the past year.

Texas A&M's class is currently the strongest in the country, boasting commitments from four five-star prospects and 10 four-star prospects.

However, none of those blue-chippers play linebacker; three-star Aston Whiteside, the Aggies' lone linebacker commit, announced his decision on June 1.

Notre Dame

Head coach Marcus Freeman during a Notre Dame football practice at Irish Athletic Center on Saturday, April 18, 2026, in South Bend. | MICHAEL CLUBB/SOUTH BEND TRIBUNE / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Henderson's visit to the Fighting Irish on June 19 will mark his final official visit of the cycle. Notre Dame offered Henderson in March of 2025, and he has gone there for a pair of unofficial visits.

The Fighting Irish hold 13 four-star commitments and are looking to add another blue-chip linebacker to their 2027 class. Four-star Amarri Irvin, the No. 25 linebacker in the class, committed to Notre Dame on Nov. 26, 2025.