Nation's No. 1 LB College Football Recruit Announces Top 5 Schools

The player considered the best high school linebacker in America is predictably getting considerable interest from multiple college football programs, and now he appears to have narrowed his own focus to five finalists as he nears a final decision.

Five-star Tampa (Fla.) linebacker Kaden Henderson has revealed the five schools he is most closely considering in a future commitment that should set the tone for how the 2027 college football recruiting cycle ultimately shakes out.

What schools are in play?

Alabama is firmly in the conversation for Henderson, and remains one of the most promising classes in the 2027 recruiting class heading into March.

Sitting in the No. 11 position according to the industry weighted national recruiting rankings, the Crimson Tide are yet to sign linebacker, but boast No. 10 edge rusher JaBarrius Garror as one of their four blue-chip pledges.

Two blue bloods have his attention

Right behind is Ohio State, which currently sits atop the national class rankings for 2027 with nine commitments.

That class includes two five-star prospects, led by consensus No. 1 edge rusher David Jacobs, the third-ranked overall prospect in the country, and third-ranked wide receiver Jamier Brown.

Notre Dame is also getting serious attention from Henderson, already boasting a top 10 ranked class heavy on defense, with five of its seven commitments playing on that side of the ball.

That group includes four-star IMG Academy (Fla.) No. 21 ranked linebacker Amarri Irvin and No. 7 cornerback Xavier Hasan.

More top 10 schools are involved

Texas A&M is another defense-heavy 2027 class that has Henderson’s attention, with seven of the Aggies’ 10 current pledges playing on D for a class ranked second nationally.

Mike Elko has commitments from No. 1 safety Kamarui Dorsey and No. 2 safety JayQuan Snell, in addition to No. 5 cornerback Raylaun Henry as part of a strong defensive foundation.

College football’s national title runner-up is also in the mix, as Miami was revealed to be one of Henderson’s five finalists.

Ranked No. 7 in the country by the industry recruiting average, the Hurricanes boast five commitments, four of which play on offense, including No. 6 wide receiver Nick Linnear.

Where he ranks as a player

No other linebacker in the country is more highly thought of than Henderson.

He is considered the No. 1 linebacker prospect in the nation and the No. 24 overall player in the country at any position, according to the industry generated 247Sports Composite.

That average marks him as a five-star player, and he remains the top-ranked linebacker in the 2027 cycle when taking an industry weighted average of all other national recruiting services.

That combined metric calls Henderson the No. 25 overall prospect in America.

(Rivals)