How Micah Hudson made Texas Tech football coach Joey McGuire break his policy
When the Texas Tech football staff was assigning 2024 uniform numbers in January, Myles Price's defection had opened up jersey No. 1 for an offensive player.
Texas Tech coach Joey McGuire thought Jordan Brown worthy, but the senior wide receiver was happy with No. 4.
When McGuire broached the subject of a jersey number with Micah Hudson, the top signee in the Red Raiders' recruiting class said he'd appreciate No. 1, what he'd worn at Temple Lake Belton.
"I said, 'Eh, I really don't do that a lot,' " McGuire recounted. "He was like, 'I promise you. I won't make you look stupid.' So I said, 'All right. We'll see.' "
Hudson, a 6-foot, 195-pound freshman wide receiver, was ranked No. 16 in the 247Sports composite index of the nation's top recruits for 2024 and No. 4 in Texas. Among Texas Tech's top receiver recruits, that puts him in the same rarefied air as Lloyd Hill. In 1990, before online recruiting services, Hill came to Tech ranked No. 6 in the nation and No. 2 in the state by the Dallas Morning News in consultation with recruiting analysts.
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In four varsity seasons, Hudson caught 202 passes for 3,885 yards and 47 touchdowns while rushing for 1,243 yards and 11 TDs.
In this era of college football, single-digit numbers are coveted on many teams and a status symbol. When a player who wears one leaves the program, that jersey's not likely to sit on the shelf.
It didn't take McGuire long, though, to make break personal policy. Two years ago, when discussing the subject of single-digit numbers, the Tech coach said holdover players would have dibs. If they want to change numbers, they have to earn it.
For emphasis, he added, "It's never going to be a situation either that some kid comes in here that's this stud high-school kid that thinks he's going to get a number over the guys that are already taking snaps in red and black."
When the quote was read back to McGuire last week, he grinned and acknowledged that agreeing to outfit Hudson in No. 1 was a nod to a rare talent, maturity and bearing. Not just McGuire's best young receiver of the year, but the best young receiver of his coaching career.
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To illustrate, he said Dezmon Briscoe, DaMarkus Lodge, Quincy Adeboyejo and Charleston Rambo "can't compare to Micah Hudson." McGuire coached all four wide receiver in high school at Cedar Hill. All four went on to productive college careers — Briscoe at Kansas, Rambo at Oklahoma and Miami, Lodge and Adeboyejo at Ole Miss.
Each spent time in pro football.
"He's better than all four of them," McGuire said. "I coached all four of them in high school, and what I've seen that guy do, I've really not seen many kids do what he can do. And then also truly believe it. There's no doubt in his mind who he is."
One other single-digit number is currently open and a source of behind-the-scenes lobbying. Defensive end Myles Cole, his eligibility done, left No. 6 available on defense. McGuire said linebacker John Curry wants it.
Get in line, McGuire thought. So do linebackers Justin Horne and Mike Dingle and cornerback Macho Stevenson. They'll compete for it this summer.
"Let's just say I put somebody in 6," McGuire said. "Three of the four would have been arguing: 'I should have gotten 6.' There's not anybody that argues Micah Hudson (getting No. 1). As much as I believe in him, his team ... . If you ask Behren Morton, he would tell you, 'This dude is different.' Just the way he carries himself, everything."
This article originally appeared on Lubbock Avalanche-Journal: How Micah Hudson made Joey McGuire break a personal policy
