ANALYSIS: Why Florida transfer WR Xzavier Henderson makes sense for Miami Hurricanes

Miami’s wide receivers room has plenty of depth with returning players that have started games including Xavier Restrepo, Colbie Young, Frank Ladson and Brashard Smith, and this spring Jacolby George and Isaiah Horton appeared to take big steps forward. Plus Mike Redding is back and Miami’s added a couple of speedsters in true freshmen Ray Ray Joseph and Robby Washington.

But, with all that said, there still may not be that real No. 1 top receiver threat in the room that will keep a defensive coordinator up at night. And in new coordinator Shannon Dawson’s hybrid Air-Raid attack, you saw Nathaniel Dell star under Dawson at Houston last season with 109 catches for 1,398 yards and 17 TDs. Next best on that team: 41 catches, 6601 yards and seven TDs. That offense thrived with a top threat, averaging 36.1 points and 455.8 yards per game.

Miami, by comparison, didn’t have any wideout with more than 367 receiving yards last season, and the offense averaged just 23.6 points and 367.1 yards.

The point? A top playmaking WR would sure help on offense.

So enter Florida junior wideout Xzavier Henderson, who went in the portal April 22. Henderson has track speed and playmaking ability … and he showed that in one of UF’s scrimmages this spring with 3 TDs and over 100 yards.

Henderson started 11 games this past season for the Gators, finishing with 38 catches for 410 yards and two TDs. He also returned kickoffs and punts and had a 9.8-yard average on punt returns. In his career the 6-3, 198-pounder has 73 catches in 35 games for 835 yards with 5 TDs. He’s started 14 games.

Those inside the Gators camp were predicting this would be Henderson’s breakout season coming up.

Certainly he’s always had tremendous ability. A 4-star in the Class of 2020, he had other scholarship offers at that time from Clemson, Alabama, Georgia, LSU, FSU, Tennessee and Miami, among others.

While Henderson was recruited by Miami out of high school,  of course that was under the prior coaching regime. As a former Columbus High standout (Mario Cristobal’s alma mater), the Canes are very much considered a landing spot for him.

CaneSport spoke with a source close to the situation on Saturday who said that Henderson’s family would love to have him closer to home but that he is going to go to throught the process and come to a decision. NIL is expected to play a prominent role in that process.

CaneSport’s take? With all things being equal and NIL being in place, there’s a great chance Henderson would join Miami.

And that would be a big deal for the Canes and this offense.

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