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How much impact will Micah Hudson, Texas Tech football freshmen have in 2024?
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- How much impact will Micah Hudson, Texas Tech football freshmen have in 2024?
Joey McGuire doesn't like to use true freshmen too often with the Texas Tech football team.
The Red Raider s head coach would prefer to keep all of his newbies in the four-game redshirt window, though circumstances can change throughout a season.
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Three defensive backs in Brenden Jordan , Jordan Sanford and Chapman Lewis all saw significant playing time as freshmen in 2023, appearing in a combined 36 games last season.
Are there any freshmen on the 2024 roster that could see the same type of playing time? Here's a few to keep an eye on.
Micah Hudson , receiver
Shockingly, the first name that appears on this list is the in-coming five-star recruit out of Temple Lake Belton. Micah Hudson's arrival brought much fan fare, though the 6-foot receiver was unable to show his stuff during spring ball as he recovered from arthroscopic surgery on his left knee to repair an injury that dates back to his high school days.
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Regardless, Hudson projects to be a heavy presence on the field for the Red Raiders despite being a true freshman. Offensive coordinator Zach Kittley said this spring the staff is working on finding ways to incorporate Hudson into the attack, be it from the outside or inside receiver positions. Hudson was expected to be ready for summer workouts.
"I don't think you'll ever hear me say we're going to redshirt Micah Hudson," McGuire said on signing day. "I think from day one, from the time that he's here, he will have a presence on this football team."
What that looks like remains to be seen, and will likely be a secret until he takes the field for his first game as a Red Raider.
Texas Tech's Cameron Dickey runs with the ball during Spring Game, Saturday, April 20, 2024, at the Sports Performance Center.
Cameron Dickey , running back
Tahj Brooks is the marquee name on this year's Texas Tech team. After finishing fourth in the nation in rushing, Brooks announced his return to the Red Raiders in December.
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Who backs him up, and gets the few carries available beyond him, is the question. Cam'Ron Valdez is back as a veteran presence after flirting with the transfer portal while redshirt freshmen Anquan Willis and Bryson Donnell opted to head elsewhere via the transfer portal.
McGuire attributed their departures to the emergence of Cameron Dickey this spring.
"He's very football-savvy," McGuire told the Avalanche-Journal this spring , "and it's dramatic whenever you see him versus some of the other guys."
McGuire also said he hopes to still redshirt Dickey — because that would likely mean Brooks and Valdez go through the season healthy. But, he's a name to monitor in the backfield.
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RELATED: Will Texas Tech football's Cameron Dickey redshirt in '24? Joey McGuire weighs in
Will Hammond, quarterback
Why is the true freshman who could be fourth on the depth chart this season on the list? Texas Tech's history.
The Red Raiders have started three different quarterbacks in each of the last three years. That means any arm on the roster needs to be prepared to play at a moment's notice.
Hammond has a chance to beat out Jake Strong for the No. 3 spot, but Behren Morton and Cameran Brown seem to have the starter and backup positions pretty locked up. Hammond not being able to redshirt would be the ultimate disaster scenario for McGuire and staff, but it can't be discounted.
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RELATED: Is Jake Strong or Will Hammond No. 3 QB for Texas Tech football? Joey McGuire explains
Malik Esquerra, defensive back
The majority of the true freshmen not to redshirt last year came in the secondary, so it stands to reason that the position group brings another possibility.
Our Don Williams had Esquerra listed third on the depth chart at boundary safety coming out of spring practice behind C.J. Baskerville and Javeon Wilcox.
Esquerra's speed has been the biggest selling point from McGuire. He took home the gold in the Class 5A 110-meter hurdles in the state track meet and added a third-place finish in the 300 hurdles. Be it on defense or special teams, Esquerra could see more playing time because of that skillset.
This article originally appeared on Lubbock Avalanche-Journal: Micah Hudson leads Texas Tech football's potential impact freshmen for 2024
