Longview’s Zaycoven Henderson Named Top Defensive Lineman at Texas Top 100 Camp

Longview had arguably East Texas' best defensive line in 2012. Junior Zaycoven Henderson was a key part of that often dominant front.

The 6-foot-2, 290-pound tackle has caught the attention of college scouts and recruiters. He showcased his skills this past weekend in Pasadena at Next Level Athlete's Texas Top 100 camp, where he earned Defensive Line MVP. The event featured some of the top 2014 football prospects in the state. Next Level Athlete hosts another Texas Top 100 camp Sunday in Lancaster.

"They were saying that I have great get-off and great hands," Henderson said. "They were just saying that I was the all-around best D-lineman who was there."

The event put athletes through a series of drills, including one-on-one matchups.

Henderson will attend a Feb. 16 junior day at SMU. He said he hopes to hear from more schools as the spring semester progresses.

"I'm pretty sure when spring rolls around if I keep my grades up, everybody's gonna want me," Henderson said.

That's true. Henderson, who started his junior season primarily as an offensive lineman, improved more and more on the defensive side of the ball as the season progressed. He finished with 48 tackles, 10 for loss, two sacks, one forced fumble, and two fumble recoveries.

In Longview's 38-10 third-round loss to Austin Westlake, Henderson often looked like the best player on the field. He had eight tackles, two for loss, and a fumble recovery as the Lobo defense held Westlake, which scored three times on defense, to fewer than 200 total yards.

Although he's played both sides of the ball, he prefers defense.

"I like playing anywhere on the defensive line," he said. "I just like defense."

In 2013, Henderson will be the anchor of a Longview defensive front that graduates almost 50 tackles for loss from tackle Cornelius Williams, end Tre Allen, and end Jalen Porter.