DT Bralen Henderson Tackling Mizzou Challenges with Chip on his Shoulder'

Ohio transfer and current Missouri defensive tackle Bralen Henderson wasn't always the big, physical defensive presence that he is now.

At one point at Central Catholic High School in Pittsburgh, he didn't even know where his true position was. His size was either higher or lower for positions that his coaches wanted him to play, leaving him in an uncomfortable grey area for his football future.

Since he joined the Ohio Bobcats in 2021, he's been locked in at the defensive tackle spot. Despite his apparent lack of size for the defensive line, it's a position he's become comfortable with. Henderson was all over the map positionally in high school before landing at Ohio.

"I played quarterback, running back, offensive line, all types of things," Henderson said Tuesday. "I kind of was always a team player, and kind of just filled the roles that the team needed. But it was always, maybe you're too big for this or you're too small for this position, things like that."

A common complaint about what Henderson brings to the table is that he's too small. Standing at 6-foot-2, 293-pounds, he doesn't exactly have the most overbearing size for an interior lineman, but it allows him to focus more on using his speed and attacking the quarterback.

In high school, his coaches and people around him told him he was too big to play certain positions. He's dealt with issues like this throughout his entire football career, but he's managed it as well as he possibly could.

"Everybody told me I was too big to be a running back," Henderson said. "Now I'm too small to be a defensive lineman. When I got to college, I was 235 [pounds]. So kind of just keeping that in my mind and knowing that it's God's plan, so let's take it one step at a time, but definitely have a chip on my shoulder."

"I started last year, every game prior to Ohio. So, of course, I would love to start here," Henderson said. "But at the end of the day, we're all going to contribute to hit our goal."

One player that Henderson managed to look up to was former Pittsburgh Panthers and Los Angeles Rams defensive tackle Aaron Donald. Donald, one of the most decorated and impressive defensive linemen in the history of the NFL, was only 6-foot-1, 280-pounds.

Henderson, a Pittsburgh of native, was around at the perfect time to watch Donald thrive in college.

"I watched Aaron Donald play," Henderson said. "I was blessed to be from Pittsburgh and hear about him. So kind of just watching a guy like him play, and kind of like growing up and watching Pitt football."