The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
Issue link: http://read.uberflip.com/i/787035
MARCH 2017 THE WOLVERINE 55 2017 FOOTBALL RECRUITING ISSUE STATISTICS • Posted 80 total tackles, including 34 tack- les for loss and eight sacks, as a senior. • Hudson logged 82 total stops, 25 tackles for loss and 8.5 sacks in his junior season. Had 10 tackles, three tackles for loss and one sack in the Division III state champi- onship game, a 33-20 loss to Akron Arch- bishop Hoban. HONORS • Named first-team Associated Press All- Ohio Division III as a senior and was a spe- cial mention selection as a junior. • Named a first-team MaxPreps/JJHuddle All-Ohio Big School selection as a senior. • Named to the Associated Press North- west Ohio All-District first team his last two seasons. • Chosen All-Three Rivers Athletic Confer- ence Defensive Player of the Year as a senior and was a first- team all-conference pick as senior and junior. ALL-STAR GAMES AND CAMPS • Attended the Rivals Camp Series Cleveland in 2015. • Participated in the Offense-Defense All-American Bowl in Atlanta on Jan. 1, 2017, and recorded three tackles with one tackle for loss. RECRUITMENT • Hudson originally committed to Kentucky on July 28, 2015, but decommitted from the Wildcats in May, 2016. • After decommitting, Hudson released a top 10 consisting of Alabama, Kentucky, Louisville, Miami, Michigan, Michigan State, Nebraska, Penn State, Pittsburgh and Tennessee in July. • Committed to Michigan Aug. 7, 2016. • Head coach Jim Harbaugh, defensive line coach Greg Mattison, secondary coach Mike Zordich and linebackers coach Chris Partridge were all heavily involved in Hudson's recruitment. NOTABLE • Born May 13, 1999. • Hudson also shined on offense as a tackle for Central Catholic. • Played a lot of basketball growing up, which explains his quick feet and overall coordination. 2017 PROJECTION Because of his size and overall athleticism, and Michigan's lack of depth along the defensive line, Hudson might have the best chance of any freshman d-lineman to earn playing time. He has the build and the look of a future NFL player, and if his abilities develop quickly enough he could get onto the field as a rookie. THEY SAID IT Toledo (Ohio) Central Catholic Head Coach Greg Dempsey: "Just how huge he is stands out. He still has a lot of room to grow. He's very lean for his size. He's very explosive. "If he adds more size and muscle, which he will at Michi- gan, he's going to be tough for people to deal with inside. That wingspan, that height, the explosiveness and athleti- cism at his size, he's a rare combination. The sky is the limit for him. "He's going to a great place that can help him develop over the next four years, and I think he'll help Michigan win over the next four years. It's a great situation for both parties." Rivals.com Midwest Recruiting Analyst Josh Helm- holdt: "His blend of size and explosiveness is what makes him a little bit more rare on defense. His high school coach doesn't get many guys like James Hudson, even at a place like Toledo Central Catholic. "When [Hudson's coach] sees what he's able to do at offen- sive tackle, he's going to probably going to be blown away. We see a lot of those guys and I think he's just more special on defense. He has a great football frame. He's a huge kid, but he he's very athletic at that size. That's why, even now, we list him as a strongside defensive end because he can play that 5-technique. "I do think long term he's most likely a 3-tech defensive tackle. He has that versatility because of his athleticism combined with his size." Defensive Line Coach Greg Mattison: "James Hudson is an outstanding athlete. He comes from a great family and comes to Michigan from Toledo Central Catholic. He played both offense and defense on his high school team, and he was really an outstanding player. He will play at defensive tackle for us here at the University of Michigan, and we are glad that he's going to be a Wolverine." JAMES HUDSON DEFENSIVE TACKLE 6-5 • 294 CENTRAL CATHOLIC H.S. TOLEDO, OHIO RANKINGS STARS NAT. POS. STATE ✪ ✪ ✪ ✪ 240 8 (SDE) 9 ✪ ✪ ✪ ✪ 273 15 10 ✪ ✪ ✪ ✪ 109 8 2 ✪ ✪ ✪ ✪ — 30 (DE) 14 Hudson is a consensus four-star recruit that some services saw as a defensive tackle while others ranked at defensive end. PHOTO BY BRANDON BROWN RIVALS.COM MIDWEST RECRUITING ANALYST JOSH HELMHOLDT "His blend of size and explosive- ness is what makes him a little bit more rare on defense."