The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
Issue link: http://read.uberflip.com/i/787035
54 THE WOLVERINE MARCH 2017 2017 FOOTBALL RECRUITING ISSUE BY JOHN BORTON To l e d o ( O h i o ) C e n - tral Catholic coach Greg Dempsey witnessed the change in his prized pupil. In short, James Hudson grew up. The need for growth gen- erally isn't associated with a 6-5, 294-pound defensive lineman, and that wasn't Dempsey's point. He says ev- erything clicked for someone ready to make a huge leap in competition. "He really took a business- like approach to it this year," Dempsey said. "Your sopho- more year is getting your feet wet. Your junior year is play- ing and your senior year, it's did you master your trade or not? That's exactly what he did. "He understood scheme — not just playing, but playing within the scheme. I think that takes the game to an- other level." Hudson certainly pos- sesses the measureables that make big-time college coaches stand in line. A Michigan-level strength and conditioning program is only going to make the senior better, his coach assured. "He's got the size and athleticism," Dempsey assured. "He's an explosive, athletic kid. He's an outstanding ath- lete, and his brute strength with his size is something. "When he gets in the weight room this summer, I'll be excited to see where he's at from June to Septem- ber, and seeing the quick gains he can make, being on the regimen those guys will be on." Hudson posted ridiculous numbers for a defensive lineman his final two years at Catholic Central. He secured a combined 162 tackles, no fewer than 59 of them behind the line of scrim- mage, including 16.5 sacks. When Hudson made an impact in the game, it couldn't be missed, his coach insisted. "Our first game, against Bishop Hartley, they're trying to come back at the end and trying to sprint out to the side," Dempsey recalled. "He's able to collapse the pocket that direction and get his hands up in the way. He's just a lot to deal with, in a variety of ways. "Playing Toledo Whitmer, one of our big rivals in a big game, their counter-trey is their bread and but- ter. The way he's able to squeeze the block down and then just destroy a puller, he took away a key part of their game. He has the skills to do that. "Now, it's going to be a little dif- ferent at that level. They're going to have big guys, too. But you can just do so much with him." The Fighting Irish went 13-1 with him, before he set his sights on help- ing replenish Michigan's depleted defensive line. U-M listed him as a defensive end, but line coach Greg Mattison called him a tackle, and Dempsey concurred with that take. Hudson could wind up as the three-technique — the defensive tackle next to the nose tackle in a 4-3 scheme — and compete for a spot in the two-deep. "He's going to be a 300-pound guy," Dempsey said. "In that three- man front, he can definitely play the defensive end that can two-gap and hold the edge. In the four- man front, he can be that three-tech that can collapse the pocket. He's going to re- quire a double team, I don't care what anybody says. You're not going to beat him one-on-one. "That's the thing about him. He brings a lot of versa- tility to the table." Still, Hudson won't be smacking pads with preps anymore, and Dempsey cau- tioned him to be ready for battles beyond anything he's known. That's where learn- ing and drive come in, the coach pointed out, and it's Hudson's game of late. "It's the continuation of technique that he showed this year into next year," Dempsey said. "He went from showing potential to being a great football player this year. He didn't rely on all of that athleticism, and he needs to continue to do that. "He played his tail off this year. When a kid has every- thing he had already locked up, to have his best year be his senior year — and by a lot — is pretty impressive, regarding the direction he's heading. "Now you've got to play with that energy just to get stalemates. You've got to keep that intensity up on a play-by-play basis. That's something he's just never experienced before." Opportunity knocks, and Hudson could knock the door off its hinges, according to his coach. "I know their defensive line situa- tion, and the number of guys they re- cruited," Dempsey said. "They need a few guys to help out his year. The great thing is, James has the ability to be that type of guy, and the frame. "It's a matter of doing what needs to be done, between now and that first kickoff, to be one of the guys that's in the hunt. Relying on fresh- men, I don't care what their rankings are — who are the guys that are going to come in during June and attack it? Beat camp and not let camp beat them? "I've seen with James, with the mental toughness, that he's capable of being that guy." ❏ Coach: James Hudson Has The Drive To Prepare Hudson amassed a combined 162 total stops, 59 tackles for loss and 16.5 sacks during his junior and senior campaigns at Toledo (Ohio) Central Catholic. PHOTO COURTESY RIVALS.COM