Spartans looking at massive tackle prospect
One of the biggest prospects in the nation for the class of 2017 is Robert Hudson of Walled Lake Western High School. Checking in at 6-foot-8, 295-pounds Hudson has college coaches very intrigued by his upside potential. SpartanMag.com caught up with Hudson and got the latest details on his recruitment.
A few weeks ago I posted on SpartanMag.com that I was not sure if the state of Michigan would have any elite offensive tackle prospects the way the class of 2016 did. Hudson may make me eat my words if he continues to improve at the rate he has over the last 18-months. I was able to speak with him the other night and got the latest details on his recruitment as far as what teams have already offered him a scholarship and which ones are in frequent contact.
"Currently I have offers from UMass, Eastern Michigan and Western Michigan," he said. "The other schools that have been keeping in contact with me so far have been Michigan State and Wisconsin I've also have had Penn State come to my school and get all of my information."
A Michigan State Coach stopped into Walled Lake Western High School shortly after the Spartans won the Big Ten Championship. We asked Hudson about his contact with Michigan State University.
"Coach (Brad) Salem is the recruiting coordinator for our area. Michigan State University is a good college with good coaches and good athletes. All around they are a good school whether it's on the field or in the classroom."
The increased interest in Hudson from a recruiting standpoint is not simply just due to him improving his skills as a football player. Hudson has worked very hard over the past year to get himself to where he is today as far as his playing weight. This past fall he was a key piece of the puzzle for Head Coach Mike Zdebski on the defensive line as the Warriors went 12-1 and advanced all the way to the semi-finals.
"I had a transformation last year from 385 pounds," he said. "Defensive tackle was my main position this year. I had to get a handle of that position since that's where my team needed me most. That is the most important thing for me, where I'm needed for the betterment of the team. All of my current offers have said I can play either (DT or OT) though some of the bigger colleges see me as an offensive tackle though because of my pure build and size."
Hudson's transformation as a player is due to a combination of diet and exercise coupled with self-discipline. Many players have arrived on college campuses and been taken aback by what it takes to get to a proper playing weight. Hudson looks forward to being able to reach a size that will allow him to best utilize his skills. His playing weight at the next level could be close to 320-pounds.
Spartan Offensive Line Coach Mark Staten likes tackle prospects with length and Hudson definitely has that. All it may take for Hudson to receive a scholarship offer from the Spartans is for him to work with Coach Staten at a camp or combine setting. You can be sure Hudson will be invited to the Michigan State Big Man Camp held in early June.
I will be sure to keep in contact with Hudson over the coming months. I expect his offer list will continue to grow slowly through the winter and spring as teams continue to evaluate him. I think once he works out as an offensive tackle prospect at camps and combines his recruitment could really take off. Hudson could very well turn into a tackle prospect that an elite program like Michigan State will want for 2017.
Matt Dorsey's Take: I have seen a lot of huge OL prospects in my 15 years of covering recruiting. Hudson is one of the more intriguing simply due to the fact that in his film you do not see a player that lumbers or consistently gets off balance. I have seen players that are much "bigger projects" than Hudson go on to have solid college and even NFL careers. The main thing for him to work on over the coming months will be his footwork and overall strength.