Michigan State Spartans head coach Mark Dantonio watches his team warm up before action against the University of Alabama Crimson Tide in the Good Year Cotton Bowl game Thursday, December 31, 2015 at AT&T Stadium in Arlington Texas.
One of the biggest prospects in the nation for the class of 2017 is Walled Lake Western lineman Robert Hudson. Checking in at 6-foot-8 and 295 pounds, Hudson has college coaches very intrigued by his potential. The last few weeks, Hudson has seen a bevy of college coaches stop into his school and his offer list has also grown.
“Buffalo, Kent State, Cincinnati, Michigan State, Toledo, Syracuse, Iowa State, Indiana, UCF and a few more, I really can’t remember all of them,” Hudson said. “Cincinnati and Temple offered me last week, those are the most recent.”
Hudson’s offer list is very impressive when you consider most teams see him playing offensive tackle at the next level. As a junior, Hudson focused almost exclusively at defensive tackle for Western so he has little to no game film on offense.
Hudson has worked over the past year to get himself to where he is today with his weight. At one point, he was 385 pounds. He has spent a lot of time re-shaping his body with diet and exercise and that has allowed him to become stronger and faster. Last fall, he was a key piece of the puzzle for Western coach Mike Zdebski as the Warriors went 12-1 and reached the state semifinals. The expectations for 2016 are high with Hudson and MSU wide receiver commitment Cody White leading the way.
The Spartans are keeping tabs on Hudson — they likely just want to see him work as an offense tackle in person. Spartans offensive line coach Mark Staten likes tackle prospects with length and Hudson definitely has that. Keep in mind 2016 MSU offensive line commitment AJ Arcuri had little experience playing the position when he was offered by the Spartans after a strong performance at camp.
I expect Hudson’s offer list will continue to grow through the May evaluation period as teams continue to stop into his high school. Once he works out as an offensive tackle prospect at camps and combines, his recruitment could take off. Hudson is rated a three-star recruit by Rivals.com. That ranking is probably accurate considering his lack of experience at the position. However, if Hudson shows well this summer at camps, he could be in line for a big jump up the position rankings.
Matt Dorsey is a recruiting analyst for SpartanMag.com and Rivals.com.