Illinois Football 2025 Scouting Report: Guard Brandon Henderson

Illinois on SI is delivering scouting reports for each of the key players on the Illini football team's 2025 roster. Below, we present our breakdown of Illini junior guard Brandon Henderson. We will add more as other on-field contributors emerge during the season. Find our scouting reports of other Illinois players by searching in your favorite browser or clicking in our projected depth chart.

Brandon Henderson | Right Guard | Junior | No. 75

Hometown: East St. Louis, IllinoisHigh School: East St. LouisHeight: 6-foot-5Weight: 335 pounds

Scouting report

Henderson excels in the run game and is at his best in a straight line, on run plays up the gut. He can really clear space when he gets a chance to reach the second level and gather a head of steam. Henderson can hold his own on pulls and swing blocks, but he is generally less effective laterally. That shows in the passing game at times, too.

He tends to get caught with his hips too high a bit too often, and defenders will sometimes bull rush through or slip past him, forcing quarterback Luke Altmyer out of the pocket. But Henderson has great hands and can adequately hold his ground when he’s on balance, square and in a good stance. If he can find consistency in pass protection, Henderson figures to put together a strong 2025 campaign.

Experience

Coming out of high school football powerhouse East St. Louis, Henderson arrived in Champaign ready to contribute, and he played nine games as a freshman in 2023. He appeared in all 13 games last year as a sophomore – including earning seven starts at right guard.

Memorably, it was Henderson who caught a two-yard touchdown pass from Altmyer on a tackle-eligible play in the fourth-quarter in Nebraska last year. One of the highlights of the season, the play evened up the score to force overtime and set up the Illini to win 31-24 in overtime – and keep the momentum rolling through a 10-3 season.

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