Micah Hudson | WR | Texas Tech | 2027 NFL Draft Eligible
Micah Hudson, wide receiver from Lake Belton High School, has some big-time expectations to meet heading into this 2024 season. According to all four major recruiting sources (On3, 247 Sports, ESPN, Rivals), Hudson was a 5-star recruit and the highest-rated recruit in Red Raider history. Could this be THE freshman wide receiver to target in your Devy and C2C startups this offseason? Let’s take a look at his resume and find out.
High School
Hudson attended Lake Belton in Temple, Texas, where he put on an absolute show in his final two seasons. As a junior, Hudson finished with 1,198 receiving yards on 65 receptions, finding the endzone through the air 14 times. He also tacked on 243 rush yards and a pair of touchdowns on the ground.
Micah found similar success as a senior, compiling 70 receptions, 1,370 yards, and 18 receiving touchdowns, and rushing for 158 yards and a touchdown as well. Between just these final two years of high school, Micah finished with nearly 3,000 scrimmage yards and 35 total touchdowns. He was also used in the return game, averaging 32.2 yards per punt return in his career.
It’s worth noting that Hudson didn’t face the same level of competition that a good number of top recruits in his class faced. Lake Belton wasn’t even a top 100 football program in the state of Texas last year.
Strengths/Weaknesses
Hudson’s head coach, Brian Cope, had some high praise for his standout player when interviewed by Dave Campbell’s Texas Football. According to On3, Brian Cope said Hudson “probably has the most incredible ball skills I’ve ever seen”. And watching Micah’s highlight films in high school, I can see what he means. Hudson has the uncanny ability to contort his body in midair and high-point the football over his defenders. He is aware of where he is on the football field at all times and displays excellent footwork along the sidelines, making acrobatic catches time and time again.
When Hudson got the ball in the open field, it was game over. His arsenal of moves to break down defenders is truly impressive. He has an excellent spin move and a quick one-cut move to get into the second level, and he showed some nice initial burst and YAC ability. I also saw a few clips where Micah got in and blocked with some nice success, showing his play strength and willingness to compete, which NFL scouts will love.
While Micah has some decent speed, it’s not elite. He ran track in high school (initially the 100M and 200M, then the 4X 200 relay) but didn’t post any eye-popping numbers. He showed breakaway speed in high school against lesser competition, but I’m not sure that will transfer to the next level. He was a deep threat at Lake Belton, but I didn’t see much of a route tree in the clips I watched. It was primarily manufactured touches near the line or go routes where he burned the DBs deep. Hudson was also frequently targeted on fade routes in the red zone, as his quarterback could trust him to go up and secure the ball at a high rate. He mainly relied on his superior athleticism to create separation in high school.
2024 Projections
There may not be another income freshman wide receiver in the country slated for more work than Micah Hudson at Texas Tech. Reports are saying he will be the starting slot receiver for the Red Raiders on Day 1, which means he’s primed for an early breakout.
This Texas Tech WR room will look entirely different in 2024. On top of Micah Hudson, Head Coach Joe McGuire has secured two transfers this offseason. Caleb Douglas is coming over from the Florida Gators, entering Year 3 of his collegiate career. Douglas finished with 11 receptions through four games in 2023, ultimately having his season cut short due to a leg injury. They also have Josh Kelly coming over from Washington State as a 6th year senior. He posted some nice numbers for the Cougars last season, accumulating 923 yards and eight touchdowns on 61 receptions.
While Micah is expected to be a Year 1 starter, he is coming off arthroscopic knee surgery, which has kept him sidelined during Spring practices this year. It’s nothing major, but it may delay his progress early in the season, so don’t be surprised if the production is limited early on. However, I expect him to be fully involved later in the 2024 season and to be one of the top Devy WR prospects in this 2027 class. It will be interesting to see how he handles the large jump in competition, but the good news is he’ll get plenty of reps to learn and improve before the 2027 NFL Draft rolls around.
Devy Value
If you’re in a Devy startup or supplemental draft this offseason, expect Hudson’s name to go off the board early. I wouldn’t take him over Ryan Williams (Alabama), but after that, you could make a case to grab Hudson as high as WR2 in the class. Keep an eye out for this guy in 2024 and beyond!
Thank you for taking the time to read this article, and I hope you got some valuable information you can use for your fantasy team! If you’d like additional insight into Dynasty Football news and analysis, please follow me on Twitter at @jim_DFF. Until next time, keep grinding out there, DFF family! #DFFArmy #AlwaysBeBuilding
