Texas 'recruiting through the whistle' for Five-Star Plus+ WR Micah Hudson

For some time, Texas Tech has been the heavy favorite in the recruitment of Temple (Texas) Lake Belton Five-Star Plus+ wide receiver Micah Hudson. His commitment to the Red Raiders has felt like a matter of when, not if.

The No. 6 overall prospect, No. 2 receiver and No. 2 player from Texas in the On3 Industry Ranking has taken five visits to Lubbock, including an official on June 16 — his only official visit thus far. According to the On3 Recruiting Prediction Machine (RPM), Tech has an 81.7% chance to receive Hudson’s pledge.

Behind the Red Raiders on the RPM is in-state foe Texas, which sits in second at 14.7%, far behind its Lone Star State compatriot. National recruiting analyst Gerry Hamilton isn’ counting out Steve Sarkisian and the Longhorns, however.

“One thing that Texas fans know from following Steve Sarkisian since he’s been in Austin is they don’t really back off the top targets, I call it recruiting through the whistle,” Hamilton said Monday during On3’s Inside Scoop recruiting show. “Coaches ask the players to play through the whistle, the coaches have to recruit through the whistle.”

Hudson has also logged five visits to Austin, with the most recent coming on June 15, right before his OV to Texas Tech. He canceled his previously scheduled OV to Texas at the end of June, but that isn’t stopping Sarkisian and his staff from keeping their foot on the gas.

Hamilton was quick to call back to a win in the 2022 cycle for the Longhorns, when five-star offensive tackle Kelvin Banks decommited from Oregon on Dec. 6, then committed to Texas on Dec. 11 and signed his letter of intent just four days later.

“That one looked like it was going to flip to Texas even before (Mario) Cristobal went to Miami, but after he did, it was over,” Hamilton said.

The longer the better for Texas

In the eyes of Hamilton, every day that Texas Tech doesn’t lock down the pledge of Hudson equals a better chance for the Longhorns to move in for the kill. With no commitment date announced, Texas continues to make its presence felt, even if Joey McGuire’s Red Raiders remain the favorite.

“Texas is good, they’ve maintained contact there,” Hamilton said. “The longer this one plays out — and i’m not saying that Texas Tech isn’t the favorite, because they clearly are, but the longer it plays out, if it gets into December or even the Under Armour All-America Game … then that’s not the best news for Texas Tech, because that gives Texas and everybody else a chance to chip away.”

Texas Tech is still in need of a prospect like Hudson, as its class currently features just four four-stars, headlined by Sachse (Texas) four-star EDGE Cheta Ofili, the No. 143 overall player in the 2024 cycle, per the On3 Industry Ranking, a weighted average that utilizes all four major recruiting media companies.