They helped Columbus win its first state football title. Now, they’ll head to the SEC.
They made their oral commitments last month, nonbinding announcements of their intentions to play in one of the top college football conferences in the country.
On Wednesday, Columbus wide receiver Xzavier Henderson and running back Henry Parrish — two players instrumental this season in the school winning its first state football title — put pen to paper, making their Southeastern Conference pledges official.
Henderson will play for Dan Mullen and the Florida Gators. Parrish will play for Lane Kiffin and the Ole Miss Rebels.
“It’s not only what they’ve produced on the field,” Columbus coach Dave Dunn said. “It’s their unselfishness. They’re two elite players who should be playing in the SEC on Saturdays next fall. If things weren’t going their way, they never complained. They just played harder. Great lead-by-example guys.”
Henderson, a four-star prospect, the No. 66 overall player in this recruiting cycle and the highest-ranked wide receiver to come out of Miami-Dade County this year according to the 247Sports composite rankings, first announced his pledge to the Gators at the All America Game on Jan. 4, choosing UF over Clemson among others. The 6-3, 180-pound receiver finished his senior season with 45 catches for 608 yards and seven touchdowns, including an eight-catch, 105-yard outing in Columbus’ Class 8A state title win over Apopka.
He’ll follow in the footsteps of his older brother CJ Henderson, who played at UF for the past three years and has declared for the NFL Draft.
“He didn’t even have to tell me anything,” Xzavier Henderson said. “Just going up there so many times, I saw for myself what it’s like. I love it there.”
Parrish, the fourth-highest ranked running back in Florida and No. 33-ranked prospect overall in the state, chose Ole Miss on Jan. 19 after closing out a solid prep career.
The 5-10, 183-pound running back eclipsed the 2,000-yard rushing mark as both a junior and a senior and had 33 total touchdowns last season.
“It was a big decision for me and my family,” said Parrish, who held his 2-year-old sister Kylee in his arms during the ceremony. “I feel like that’s going to be home for me.”
Henderson and Parrish were two of six football players to sign national letters of intent at Columbus on Wednesday. The others: defensive end Max Villar (Georgetown), cornerback Branden Coleman (Colorado State), offensive lineman Jose Fernandez (Ave Maria) and wide receiver Trynyty Conway (St. Thomas University).
This story was originally published February 5, 2020 at 1:18 PM.
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