Xavier Henderson returning to Michigan State for 2022: What It Means
East Lansing, Mich. - Michigan State’s chances of having a strong follow-up to its storybook 2021 season just got better.
Xavier Henderson, one of MSU’s most reliable defensive players of 2021, announced via Twitter on Thursday afternoon that he will return for an additional senior season in 2022.
Henderson was third-team All-Big Ten at safety in 2021 by media and honorable mention by coaches. He ranked tied for ninth and tied for 66th in the nation with 7.8 tackles per game. He had 94 tackles on the year.
Henderson ranked No. 17 in the Big Ten in tackles for loss with 10, ranking No. 2 among defensive backs in that category in the conference.
Henderson played every defensive snap in eight games for the Spartans in 2021.
Henderson has earned four letters at Michigan State. He is opting to accept a fifth season of eligibilty via the NCAA COVID waiver.
Michigan State head coach Mel Tucker responded to Henderson’s announcement on Twitter by saying: “Captain X is back! I could not be more fired up to have the great leader back for another year.”
COMP’S TAKE
Henderson played like an All-American during the first half of the 2021 season, and was acknowledged as such when The Athletic put him on its second-team Mid-Season All-America Team.
But Henderson was slowed by injuries in the second half of the season. He played through tweaks and pain in November, and missed the second half of the Ohio State game with an ailment. He was solid in the second half of the season, but not quite the standout he was in September and October. Still, his reliability and dependability in the second half of the season was vital in helping Michigan State close out an 10-2 regular season and eventual 11-2 finish.
He was recharged and noticeably quicker during MSU’s Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl victory over Pitt on Dec. 30.
In the first half of the season, sources told SpartanMag that Henderson was looking forward to following up his strong 2021 season with a move to the pro ranks in 2022. However, the second half of the season didn’t go as smoothly as Henderson wished. He was hoping for a strong showing in the bowl game, and when he shone well at the game in Atlanta, it gave him reason to reconsider his options.
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