Texas Tech football: Micah Hudson has perfect mentality to be a Red Raider

Monday evening, Texas Tech football fans were thrilled to learn about the verbal commitment the program received from 5-star wide receiver, Micah Hudson.  Truly a landmark moment for the program, his decision to become a Red Raider could usher in a new era of success on the recruiting trail for head coach Joey McGuire and his coaching staff.

This is a player the caliber of which previous Tech coaching staffs would have only dreamed about convincing to visit Lubbock, much less landing.  Prior to Hudson’s decision, the highest-ranked high school player to ever give a pledge to the program was Breiden Fehoko, a 4-star prospect, and the No. 51 player overall in the class of 2015 according to the 247Sports composite rankings.

Hudson is in a different ballpark than Fehoko or any other past or present Texas Tech recruit though.  Sitting at No. 9 in the country according to the 2024 composite rankings by 247Sports, the Temple, Texas product is more highly ranked than any player currently committed to Texas A&M, LSU, Florida, Florida State, Michigan, Oregon, Notre Dame, Clemson, Tennessee, or a host of other programs that typically find themselves swimming in the deepest recruiting ponds in America.

What’s fascinating, though, is that Hudson appears to be not only a great physical fit at Texas Tech as a football player, but he also seems to have the perfect mentality to be a Red Raider.

Micah Hudson already appears to have a Texas Tech mentality

We all know that Texas Tech is a university built on grit more than flash.  Life in West Texas is not for the faint of heart and only those who embrace the mentality of Lubbock and of the West Texas region will thrive at Tech.

Some have surmised that the attitude required for one to embrace all things West Texas is one reason that high-profile five-star prospects have often turned their noses at Texas Tech.  Because the program has long been a no-frills undertaking where hard work, sacrifice, and an upstart mentality replace the idea of star treatment, five-star facilities, and a country club lifestyle, people have theorized that truly elite players would not be interested in Tech and would look to go elsewhere to play at programs where they will be coddled and will have the finest accouterments laid at their feet at every turn.

One such program that fits that description is Texas, the program long known for having the best facilities and frivolities in the nation.  Players going to Texas expect to be treated as celebrities and to have the world handed to them on a silver platter but it appears that Hudson isn’t interested in the material trappings offered by programs of that ilk.

In fact, in a recent exchange (one which was screen-shotted and shared on X by a Texas Tech fan) with a Texas fan on Instagram who suggests Hudson could have made more money in N.I.L. while at Texas, Hudson says that money doesn’t matter to him.

While Texas Tech supporters have spent quite a bit of money to create a trend-setting N.I.L. collective that ensures every player on the football team is signed to a five-figure deal, Hudson is one of the name-brand players in the country who stands to receive even more N.I.L. money through endorsements.

We already see players such as U.S.C. star QB Caleb Williams in national commercial campaigns for Wendy’s and Nissan and it is estimated by some that 2023’s top high school recruit, Arch Manning, (now a true freshman at Texas) could be worth $3.7 million in N.I.L. valuations.

Given that Texas Tech is not a name-brand program nor is it located in a major media or population center, it seems unlikely that Hudson would have similar opportunities regardless of how well he plays.  Fortunately, that does not appear to be a priority for the mature high school senior and that type of focus on football over endorsements will only help to endear him to the people of West Texas.

It hasn’t been just fans who have thrown jabs at Hudson since the news of his commitment broke, though.  Owner and publisher of Orangebloods.com (part of the Rivals.com network) also took a bit of a swipe at Texas Tech asking if Hudson’s pledge will hold “if Tech goes 6-6”.  To that snarky question, Hudson simply replied with a .GIF of a dancing Snoop Dogg that says “Hell Yea”.

It’s really telling about Ketchum’s professionalism, or lack thereof, for him to be making comments about a high school senior’s college decision.  While Ketchum didn’t disparage Hudson directly, he should be above trying to belittle any recruit’s choice.

His Tweet shows just how bitter he is about having to accept that little ole Texas Tech could actually win a high-profile recruiting battle against the all-mighty Longhorns.  It’s a perfect representation of the collective attitude in Austin, one that infests even the media that covers that program and one that has made that fanbase one of the most loathed in sports.  Thus, to revel in Ketchum’s angst is rather satisfying for Texas Tech fans, especially with Hudson refusing to stand down.

Apparently, Utah fans are also salty about Hudson’s decision even though they were never in the running for his services.  An X account named Utah Football Stats and Analysis also tagged Hudson in a post that asked the last time “a 5-star recruit committed to a team that is 0-2”.

Hudson responded with a .GIF of a laughing woman and the comment “…isn’t the point of recruiting to win and help rebuild?”  That should tell us everything we need to know about Hudson’s mindset.

He isn’t looking for a place where he can join a dream team.  He wants to make his own mark, to become a legend at a place where he can help build something almost from the ground up.

That type of thought process is rare among 5-star recruits in any sport.  It is special to see Hudson embrace the building process that McGuire has begun in Lubbock and the fact that he wants to be part of something new should excite every Red Raider.

Finally, another Texas face ran his online mouth about Hudson on X claiming that “We probably won’t hear much about him once he gets to tech.”  To that comment, Hudson simply responded, “Want to bet?”

The arrogance from this Longhorn fan aside (as that is a given), Hudson’s confidence in himself is refreshing and exciting.  He knows what he is capable of he is not going to shy away from the expectations that will undoubtedly accompany his arrival on campus next year.

Hudson is going to be the most high-profile player on the team the moment he moves his belongings to Lubbock.  Though the national attention on him won’t be as intense in West Texas as it would be were he to play at Ohio State or Alabama, being the most famous player on the team by leaps and bounds will bring about a different level of pressure, one that few players in program history have ever experienced.

Fortunately, it appears that Hudson, whose father played at Texas Tech as well, is ready to embrace the hype and the hate that comes from bucking the system and deciding to play at a school that most blue-chip prospects wouldn’t give a second thought to.

Of course, that narrative might be changing as this recruiting win has opened eyes around the college football world.  What’s more, Hudson is already showing that he has the “us against the world” mentality that defines being a Red Raider.  That’s why, even just one day into his time as a Texas Tech commit, he’s already started to make himself a hero in West Texas.