Former five-star wide receiver Micah Hudson eventually made his way back to Lubbock after a short stint in College Station. Head coach Joey McGuire sounds happy to have him back.
LUBBOCK, Texas - You can argue that much of the Texas Tech Red Raiders' football momentum first started with the acquisition of Micah Hudson.
The shifty wide receiver was the program's first-ever five-star high school signee when he joined the Red Raiders and head coach Joey McGuire ahead of the 2024 season.
He didn't get much run as a true freshman, and upon deciding to transfer to Texas A&M, things went south when he reportedly got into an altercation with a teammate. That friction initiated a return to Lubbock, where McGuire welcomed him back onto the team just before the 2025 season.
Hudson had eight receptions for 112 yards and the first two touchdowns of his collegiate career (both on Nov. 29 at West Virginia) last year.
With spring practices now underway, McGuire spoke about the prospect to clear up misconceptions and preview how he fits on this year's roster.
"What people don't understand is that Micah Hudson walked on last year," McGuire shared to the media. "He was not on scholarship. We just put him back on scholarship in January. He wore No. 14 [in 2025], I was not going to give him No. 1. He would have to earn it back."
And now the Temple native has done just that. Texas Tech announced new numbers for the incoming freshman, transfers and returners this week, including Hudson returning to his desired digit, and the same one he wore in 2024.
"Micah did a lot of things to be back at Texas Tech," McGuire said, "because he knew this is where he should've been and stayed. It's gonna pay off."
Hudson, who stands at 6-0 and 200 pounds, was previously a substitute slot receiver. On Day 1 of practice, McGuire said he is running with the "one's" as a starter. Tech will be without leading receivers from last season Caleb Douglas and Reggie Virgil as they entered the NFL Draft.
"You're gonna see a bigger rotation at receiver than what we have in the past without a doubt because we are deeper in that room.
"Micah's really done a phenomenal job of buying into everything Coach Juice [receivers coach Justin Johnson] and [offensive coordinator] Mack [Leftwich] have asked him to do, and it's paying off."
With a Big 12 Championship in arms and another premier transfer portal class growing expectations, the return of Micah Hudson might just be a defining factor into Texas Tech returning to the upper echelon of college football.
Just as what has begun since he first joined the program.
