The NCAA transfer portal doesn’t officially open for another week, but the first major entry will leave a Big 12 program without one of its most promising young players from the 2024 class.
On Sunday, it was reported that Texas Tech wide receiver Micah Hudson, a consensus five-star player in last year’s cycle, intends to enter the transfer portal when it opens on Monday, December 9.
The news is sending shockwaves through Lubbock, and the rest of the Big 12 for that matter, and there’s no question that Hudson will immediately become a hot commodity for target-needy teams next season.
It’s going to be a certified bidding war for someone of Hudson’s talent, and here are three potential landing spots for the former Red Raider.
Texas
A product of Lake Belton in Temple (TX), Hudson grew up just a stone’s throw from Austin, Texas, and is very familiar with the Longhorns. Texas just missed on Hudson out of high school and is immediately a team to watch for the uber-talented freshman. With Arch Manning set to take over at the quarterback spot and emerging stars like Ryan Wingo and DeAndre Moore Jr. already making plays, the addition of Hudson would almost feel unfair — but, in the world of college football, the rich typically just get richer.
Texas A&M
Just like their bitter rivals from Austin, Texas A&M was close to landing a commitment from Hudson out of high school, as he went on several visit to College Station. However, the Aggies have Mike Elko this time around and look like a much more serious program than they did under Jimbo Fisher. A&M doesn’t seem to have a bonafide WR1 on campus right now, but getting a talent like Hudson to come aboard would be massive. When the portal officially opens on Monday, don’t be surprised if the folks in College Station make a strong push for his services.
LSU
While Ohio State has earned the right to be called “WRU,” the LSU Tigers certainly have an argument for the title, with guys like Justin Jefferson, Ja’Marr Chase, Malik Nabers, and Brian Thomas Jr. all having tremendous success in Baton Rouge and the NFL alike. It’s likely that Garrett Nussmeier isn’t coming back, but if he does, or if the Tigers can find an instant impact player at that position, there would be little doubt that the Bayou Bengals would be able to provide a strong pitch for Hudson’s services.
Wildcard: Oregon
Oregon doesn’t have geography on its side, but if there’s one thing that the Ducks have that nobody else does, it’s Phil Knight. We’ve seen it time and again in the era of the transfer portal and NIL: if Oregon wants somebody, they typically get them. If that’s the case with a player of Hudson’s caliber, it would be unwise not to count the Ducks as a major contender.
