4-star defensive end Henderson signs with LSU, Weatherall to FAU
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Pine Forest seniors Trenton Henderson and Justin Weatherall have made every step of the recruiting journey together.
The duo started their high school careers at Pensacola Catholic before transferring to Pine Forest for their senior seasons. Picked up offers along the way and handled the craziness that is college football recruiting in 2025.
So the pair ended their high school football journey together as well, both signing to play at the next level.
“This was something that we talked about since freshman year doing together,” Weatherall said. “And we finally made it happen.”
Henderson, whose recruitment has drawn national attention, signed with LSU. Weatherall will stay in-state and play for Florida Atlantic University. Both plan to early enroll at their respective destinations.
Below is more on each player.
Trenton Henderson (LSU)
Henderson didn’t officially make up his mind until late last night. The four-star defensive end had been verbally committed to LSU since July 2, but a lot had changed with the Tigers football program since then.
But he kept coming back to one reason to stick with LSU.
“LSU always felt like home for me,” Henderson said.
LSU fired head coach Brian Kelly on Oct. 26 in the midst of a disappointing 7-5 regular season, then hired Ole Miss head coach Lane Kiffin on Nov. 30. Henderson said he’s had “one or two conversations” with Kiffin.
But no matter who was leading the program, Henderson was always looking for the best place for him to succeed.
“I fee like it’s a place that can get me to the NFL,” Henderson said. “It’s somewhere I’m at home.”
The No. 67 overall player and No. 8 defensive end in the class of 2026, Henderson said a weight has been lifted off his shoulders.
While he was figuring out recruiting off the field, he was battling challenges on it with a new role at Pine Forest. His stats declined from his junior to his senior season, as he faced double and triple teams, drawing attention to open up plays for others on a talented Eagles defense.
He finished with 35 tackles (8 TFL), 4.5 sacks, 1 pass deflection, 1 blocked punt and 1 blocked field goal to help the Eagles win the District 1-4A title.
Eagles head coach Kerry McDowell previously served as Henderson’s defensive coordinator at Pensacola Catholic and has seen him transform from a tall skinny kid with upside to someone doing all the right things to fulfill his potential.
“There’s plenty of people who have lots of stars that God blessed them and they get on to college and develop and didn’t work their tail off,” McDowell said. “This one worked his tail off. From playing multiple sports and not putting his training and getting better in the back seat, not for a moment. He was driven to get where what he’s doing right now and I couldn’t be more proud of his efforts.”
Justin Weatherall (FAU)
McDowell initially didn’t have a good impression of the three-star defensive back.
Initially Weatherall was someone McDowell dreaded seeing in class as a freshman. That made the moment Friday that much sweeter, as he watched Weatherall grow and realize what he needed to do to achieve his dream of playing college football.
“It wasn’t anything of me,” McDowell said. “It was him wanting to reach his goals. So he changed and became the model student for me and the model player.”
Weatherall grew up in a military family. He was born in Salt Lake City and lived in Los Angeles and Kansas before moving to the Florida panhandle. He admitted to struggling to behave in class, but once he matured it made him better on the football field.
“I feel like that’s the biggest thing that led on to the football field,” Weatherall said. “Being able to control my emotions and not act up.”
Weatherall verbally committed to FAU on June 8. He played just six games this fall because of a groin and shoulder injury, but still recorded 24 tackles, two interceptions and three pass deflections.
He says he’s 100 percent healthy and is working the next few weeks to get in the best shape he can before he gets down to the Boca Raton campus he grew to love during the recruiting process.
“I’ve taken about 8-10 visits there since my freshman year,” Weatherall said. “I really love the campus and I know it’s somewhere I’ll be able to flourish and really find myself.”
This article originally appeared on Pensacola News Journal: Pine Forest football’s Henderson (LSU), Weatherall (FAU) sign
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