Ambitious, realistic or both? Cason Henry sets goals for first season as a Gamecock
Cason Henry doesn’t listen when he’s told he won’t play his freshman year at South Carolina, that he’ll be redshirted and have to pay his dues as a first-year offensive lineman.
The 247Sports Composite three-star lineman knows he’ll have a new scheme to learn, improvements to make and strength to build, but he also knows nothing is set in stone — and he’s hungry to make an impact for Shane Beamer’s program.
“I want to play as soon as possible, and I’m going to work my absolute hardest to obtain that goal,” Henry told The State. “I will work my absolute hardest to try to outplay anybody that is in my current position and to play as soon as possible. Whether it is realistic or not, I do not care. I’m going to pursue it.”
That mindset served Henry well, as the 6-foot-6, 290-pound Gamecocks signee collected 20 college offers out of Walton High School in Marietta, Georgia. He selected South Carolina over a pool that included Georgia Tech, Mississippi State, N.C. State and even North Carolina — a team he watched lose to the Gamecocks in the 2021 Duke’s Mayo Bowl.
South Carolina’s dominant bowl performance was just the cherry on top of his praises for Beamer and his staff, which Henry committed to back in June 2021.
“I’ve honestly never been more impressed with a coach,” Henry said. “South Carolina was not at its best before Coach Beamer. Coach Beamer has obviously made drastic improvements in his first year, and we beat North Carolina in the bowl game. That was like one of the happiest days for me.”
Henry’s excitement toward joining the Gamecocks’ roster is apparent when considering the quick turnaround from his high school graduation to USC move-in day. He’ll have two days of “summer vacation” between the milestones and plans to make Columbia his home May 28. Classes start May 31, with South Carolina football players starting workouts June 1.
He’s heard from his friends on the team who enrolled early that South Carolina’s workouts are tough — but he’s ready to go.
“I’m expecting the worst,” Henry said. “I’m expecting that I will have to work my absolute hardest and start from the bottom because I’m a freshman. I don’t expect any handouts or anything like that. I’m just gonna get in there and work and do my best. Whatever happens, happens.”
Since the conclusion of his senior year at Walton, Henry has been training at Velocity Sports under former Louisville football player Josh Richardson. He said he’s working with fellow Division I linemen heading to Oklahoma State, Georgia Tech and Air Force, and the improvement he’s made since joining those workouts Jan. 1 has been “dramatic.”
For Henry, picking South Carolina felt natural from the day of his official visit. He felt an instant connections with Beamer, offensive line coach Greg Adkins and strength-and-conditioning coach Luke Day. He also had fun exploring Columbia with his student host, redshirt freshman offensive lineman Colin Henrich.
Henry visited other schools, like Georgia and Georgia Tech, but they left him with a similar feeling. It was different at USC, and he said he didn’t wait long after the visit to call Beamer and make his commitment.
“Coach Beamer cares about his players, and that’s a rare thing in college football,” he said. “College football players are treated like commodities, almost like accessories or like tools. (It’s) like pieces on a chess board, like ‘I’m going to use you to get what I want as a coach.’ But Coach Beamer treats us like we’re actually his players. He cares, and it just creates an environment of trust.”
Off the field, Henry said he’s leaning toward picking a major that involves international business and finance. He has a strong desire to travel the world, though he’s never left the United States before. He’s passionate about cooking and loves to learn new recipes with his mother and grandparents. His favorite dish to make is chicken marsala, an Italian-American dish, because he enjoys cooking with wine.
But Henry is prepared for the hard work on the football field, dedicated to carving out a place on the roster and leading the Gamecocks to success in the future.
“I can thrive here,” Henry said. “They have the right people in the right places at the right time to cultivate a winning program. I want to be a part of it because because it’s just starting to get on its feet. I want to be one of the people that helps build it up to what it could be — and what it will be.”
