Dismissed Clemson Tigers Running Back Finds New Home

Former Clemson Tigers football signee Marquise Henderson has committed to Liberty, according to On3. The 2025 4-Star running back was dismissed from Clemson last week, though a reason for the dismissal was not provided.

Henderson was ranked as the No. 205 player in the nation as a recruit, the No. 10 running back, and No. 4 player in South Carolina by 247 Sports. He was a star at nearby Belton-Honea Path High School (BHP), just under an hour’s drive from Clemson’s campus.

In his time at BHP, Henderson rushed for 6,580 yards and 86 touchdowns, averaging 10.5 yards per carry. He broke the 2,000-yard mark in both his junior and senior seasons and had a career-high 37 touchdowns as a junior.

He was initially expected to form a possible dynamic duo with fellow freshman back Gideon Davidson, especially after the injury sophomore Jay Haynes suffered at the end of last season. So, on the surface, Henderson’s dismissal seems like it could hurt the Tigers’ depth at running back. However, I would expect Clemson to be ok thanks to both Davidson and the newly converted Adam Randall.

Randall has been far from perfect as a receiver, never racking up more than 250 yards or 2 touchdowns in any of his three seasons. However, in the Garrett Riley offense, the former wideout could shine in the swing screen game or as a gadget player. So, Davidson could be the feature back, and Randall could be an excellent change-of-pace option for passing situations.

As for Henderson’s new home, he will be joining a Liberty Flames team that could certainly use his help. The Flames lost each of their top two running backs, Quinton Cooley and Billy Lucas, to graduation. Their third-leading rusher was quarterback Kaidon Salter, who will be starting for Colorado this season. Those three players combined for 2,561 rushing yards, 85 percent of Liberty’s 2024 rushing offense.

The only returning Flame with more than 200 rushing yards is redshirt sophomore Vaughn Blue, who had just 207. Henderson should be able to plug right into the Liberty offense and produce immediately, provided he does everything needed to remain on the team.

Head coach Jamey Chadwell’s offense, which is an altered version of the spread-option, needs both a quality running back and a mobile quarterback to properly function. The Flames should have their quarterback in Ethan Vasko, who followed Chadwell from Coastal Carolina. The missing piece was a true top running back, something the Flames hope to find in Henderson.