Just when it seemed like the calls from Texas Tech fans to see more of freshman wide receiver Micah Hudson were starting to wane, the former five-star recruit reignited the buzz Saturday against Baylor. Late in the 59-35 loss, Hudson made a one-handed grab along the sideline for a 26-yard gain, setting up Tech’s final garbage-time touchdown of the day.
On the play, the 2023 high school All-American got over a Baylor defensive back and caught a pass that looked like it was going to be thrown over his head. This was Hudson’s most impressive play so far in 2024 and highlighted his tremendous potential. The catch prompted many Texas Tech fans on social media to demand more playing time for Hudson.
So why isn’t Micah Hudson getting any snaps right now?
— Jimmy McBucketss 🌵 (@Jimmymcbucketss) October 19, 2024
That’s why we brought in Micah Hudson.
— Preston Ŧ Long 🌵Watch RTDB (@STXAmbassador) October 19, 2024
There is no excuse or explanation for not having Micah Hudson on the field. We’ve seen what some of these other receivers are capable of, but that’s not enough of a reason to keep a highly ranked five-star off the field.
— Kendall Phipps 🌵🏴☠️ (@kendall_phipps3) October 19, 2024
So naturally, when offensive coordinator Zach Kitley met with the media on Monday, he was asked what Hudson would have to do that week to get more snaps. His answer probably wasn’t what most Texas Tech fans wanted to hear.
“He’s doing a really good job,” Kitley said. “Again, I think we’ve really seen the rise of Caleb Douglas over the last few games, and now he’s kind of competing in the same position as him. I’ve said it many times. , these three main players, they are going to be our main members, and we are going to prepare a package and so on for Mika.
“And again, he’s moving in the direction he needs to go. Again, he’s doing a good job, so we’re going to keep giving him things here and there. With him anyway. I want him to continue to practice and get him confident in what we’re doing.” And also, I’ve seen the confidence grow, and the ability to make big plays with him.” We can see there is, and hopefully we can continue to see some of that happen. ”
Hudson’s current problem is that he has only learned one position on the field, and that position is played by Douglas, a transfer from Florida who ranks second on the roster in catches (30), receiving yards (419) and touchdowns. It is blocked by . Reception (4). So having Hudson on the field more often would mean taking one of Tech’s best receivers out of the game, and that’s not something the coaching staff is keen to do.
Remember, Hudson missed all of spring football while returning from knee surgery. That limited his ability to learn the entire offense and potentially play multiple positions. Therefore, he is not yet ready to play in the slot or other wide receiver positions.
So far this year, Hudson has caught eight passes for 123 yards. This number is far below what Texas Tech fans expected his numbers to be at this point in the season, given the hype surrounding his addition, and that hype has continued to grow this offseason. This was only enhanced by head coach Joey McGuire, who called Hudson a “generational talent” in 2016.
Hudson may finally prove his head coach’s words true. But despite the fact that he’s made some plays that Red Raider fans are drooling over, it looks like we won’t see his full offensive potential anytime soon.
