At 16 years old, Malik Henry has poise beyond his years. It is a poise groomed by his parents, coaches and the confidence in his ability as the quarterback at Westlake High.

It’s a poise that belies the fact that he is the most hyped football recruit in the San Fernando Valley since Jimmy Clausen at Oaks Christian in 2006. It’s a calm that doesn’t usually come from being named the No. 1-rated junior quarterback in the country by ESPN and 24/7 Sports.

Today, as he makes his college decision on ESPNU’s College Football Daily at 12 p.m., Henry said the pressure of deciding between his final four — UCLA, Ohio State, Notre Dame, and Florida State — is starting to hit home, but at the same time he sees it as the next step of a journey he began as a kid in Ladera Heights.

“I’m feeling a bit overwhelmed and stressed by the whole thing,” said Henry. “You have different people trying to persuade you, but at the end of the day, it’s my decision.

“It’s going to make me realize all the hard work and dedication is paying off.”

Henry won’t be able to officially sign his letter of intent until next year, but his verbal commitment today is the fulfillment

In a year’s time, he transformed from a first-year starter to the one of the nation’s most coveted players. ESPN, 24/7 Sports and Rivals.com have him rated the No. 1 overall junior prospect in California as well as a top 10 national prospect.

While it has given Henry a boost in popularity — he has nearly 2,700 followers on Twitter — he’s taken it in stride and remains focused on improving his skills and leading Westlake to a CIF championship as the playoffs start this week.

“I’m very grateful that they do rank me so high and that other people think of me being that good, but the rankings don’t affect me,” he said.

The national attention, however, doesn’t hurt. This past spring and summer, Henry made a name for himself at several all-star camps competing against some of the best senior recruits in the country.

At the Nike Elite 11 camp in January that featured some of the top quarterbacks in the country, he dazzled in workouts and was moved up from the sophomore division to compete against players such as St. John Bosco’s Josh Rosen (UCLA commit), Corona Centennial’s Blake Barnett (Alabama commit) and St. Bonaventure’s Ricky Town (USC commit).

In June, he attended the Rivals100 Five-Star Challenge in Baltimore, competing alongside some of the top seniors and juniors-to-be in the country, and once again scouts and recruiting analysts marveled at his arm strength, mobility and poise.

“It was my first time in Baltimore, so I tried to take in the moment, enjoy being at the Ravens stadium and just compete with everybody,” he said.

Henry earned rave reviews for his arm strength, mobility and poise as college coaches from all over the country came calling to Westlake to see him work out in person. BYU and Colorado were the first to offer scholarships but once UCLA offered, more schools followed suit and fans started bombarding him with their pitches.

Florida State fans dreamed of him as the successor to Heisman Trophy winner Jameis Winston. Michigan fans hoped he could turn around their program, while Notre Dame fans had plans for him the same way they dreamed big things for Clausen nearly a decade ago when he committed to the Irish.

“It surprised me because a lot of those teams have their perspective on California kids, so it meant a lot,” Henry said. “The attention also means you have to be careful what you say on Twitter.”

His rise demonstrated a new trend in high school recruiting. In previous years, a player would rely solely on game film, stats and highlights to attract college coaches, but now players can attend multiple showcases and college camps in the offseason and receive scholarship offers.

Before this season started, Henry had 20 offers from schools around the country, which is often rare for a California quarterback who most assume will stay home for school.

Yet the pressure has not affected his performance. It helps that his father, Marchell, was a former basketball standout at East Carolina University before playing overseas and has assisted him throughout the recruiting process by letting him know what to expect.

“He’s been there and been through everything I’ve been throug,h so he’s done a good job calming me down when it gets overwhelming,” Malik said.

Even at school, Henry hears the whispers and advice from classmates on where they think he should go. His safe haven is often where the dream began — on the football field at practice, where Westlake is preparing for its Pac-5 Division playoff opener against Mater Dei on Friday.

It is all the more reason why today’s announcement couldn’t come soon enough. Henry, who also plans to play baseball in college, will be surrounded by family, his Pop Warner quarterback coach Cornell Ward ,who began preparing him at 6 years old, and others who will share his moment with the rest of the country.

He will be relieved to slip on the hat and wear the crown that comes with being the next blue chip recruit and the hope of a college program.

As for the nerves? They’ll be shaken away like another defender on a pass rush.

“I’ll be happy and excited to just end the process,” he said. “I’ll be going through so many emotions, and after making my decision, all the stress will be released and I can be a normal teenager again.”