Sophomore stud: Hudson to lead the Huskies
CORNELIUS, N.C. (BVM) — Watching the William Hough High School football team is becoming a regular part of FBS scouts’ schedules. With nine seniors currently committed to Division I college programs, and another mulling offers, head coach Matthew Jenkins will have coached 21 FBS athletes in his three years on the job.
But his seniors aren’t the only ones getting attention from major schools. One of his best up-and-comers, sophomore quarterback Tad Hudson, is generating some steam on his recruiting trail.
Hudson, a 6-foot-3 signal-caller, has already fielded offers from some top-tier programs. Two in-state schools are on that list, those being North Carolina State and the University of North Carolina – Chapel Hill. The rest of that list is made up of programs a little further away, like Texas, Arkansas, Kentucky, and most recently, South Carolina.
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All of these offers for a freshman, who appeared in just six games last season.
That’s because he played alongside Western Kentucky Hilltopper commit Darius Ocean. Ocean passed for 1,858 yards and 21 touchdowns in his final season with the Huskies, making it hard for Hudson to find time on the field.
But Hudson did find time, often in the second half of blowout games, and performed well with his small sample size. He completed passes at a 55% clip, totaling 576 yards and eight touchdown passes. He even got to start William Hough’s second round playoff game against the No. 1-seeded Richmond Raiders.
Although the Huskies didn’t get the job done, their quarterback of the future appeared calm, cool and collected. He passed for 220 yards, three touchdowns, and gained some much-needed experience.
“It was pretty intimidating walking out to the field. I was nervous before we got going,” Hudson said. “But when we started warming up I said ‘let’s roll, this is what I came to do.’”
And Hudson does not hold any bitter feelings towards his playing time in year one. He was gracious of the opportunity to share the field with Ocean, and learn from him during practice.
“In practice we pushed each other a lot,” Hudson said. “He knew I was just a young ninth-grader, but that I had potential. I loved working with him in practice and telling each other what we needed to fix.”
Besides Ocean, the offense also included Ohio State running back commit Evan Pryor, Appalachian State wide receiver commit Coen Sutton, and this coming year, they’ll add University of Virginia wide receiver commit Jesiah Davis.
With key players surrounding Hudson, his job will be a lot easier. And, it’ll only help him continue to bolster his recruiting resume.
“I don’t have to rely on myself. I know I can get the ball in their hands and they can make a play,” Hudson said. “They are all hard workers. They grind every day.”
With three years of high school remaining, Hudson is just getting started. This year, he’ll be the lone head of the offense, and get a full opportunity to showcase his abilities. If the season does take place amidst the COVID-19 pandemic, Hudson will be chomping at the bit to make a run.
“I want to win as many rings as possible,” Hudson said. “Throw a lot of TDs, have fun with my guys, and enjoy the high school experience.”
