Is Scott County offensive lineman Bryan Hudson the next Landon Young?
Hudson is only a freshman, but the last time the Cats offered an in-state player this young the player turned out to be the program's first five-star signee.
The parallels between Hudson and Young -- the Young of years ago -- are real, but they only go so far.
It's true, both players were offered by Kentucky at an extremely young age. Hudson was actually offered at an earlier point in his high school career than Young. The five-star 2016 signee picked up his Kentucky offer in the summer before his sophomore year. Hudson's about a month ahead of that pace.
Hudson doesn't quite have Young's height -- he's around 6-foot-4 -- but then again he's potentially got plenty of growing left in him.
On the flip side, when Young was offered by Kentucky he was much leaner with a much longer way to go in terms of filling out his frame when compared to where Hudson is in his development now. Hudson's 6-foot-4 frame already holds 250 pounds.
The state that has produced Young, Drake Jackson and Jedrick Wills in recent years doesn't appear to be slowing down, and Hudson will only fuel speculation "on the ground" in Kentucky that the state's talent pool is increasing. That says nothing of Austin Dotson, who's committed to Kentucky, or even Cole Bentley, another 2017 offensive lineman with offers from Power Five programs.
The local talent surge benefited Kentucky in February when the Cats' signing class was headlined by a nucleus of in-state talent, and in-state talent on the offensive line primarily.
So how did Kentucky's offer to Hudson happen?
College coaches can't exactly just call up high school freshmen, as NCAA rules would strictly prohibit that. Still, there are ways to convey interest through intermediaries, like high school coaches, and that's the channel that John Schlarman chose to relay the big news of the offer to Hudson.
"Coach McKee, my high school coach, had told me that Coach Schlarman and several other college coaches were going to come watch me and a few of my teammates work out," Hudson told Cats Illustrated. "And on April 22nd we all showed up before school started just after 7 a.m. and we power cleaned as well as (doing) some agility drills and some skill work. We went through some plays as a group and then I long snapped.
"When Coach Schlarman left he told me that he liked me," Hudson recalled. "(He said) that I had a good workout and about an hour later he called Coach McKee and I spoke with him shortly after that."
There were only about six players for Scott County who were going through those plays when Schlarman was observing. That made it easy to single out the uncommonly large and developed high school freshman, who looked advanced beyond his years.
Early offers to in-state players are a rarity for a number of reasons, and when a high school freshman is offered by his state's flagship university it's a tremendous vote of confidence and a statement that the coaches at that program are convinced he will be a big-time prospect. After all, they're projecting him as a potential college enrollee three full years from now.
Most players that young don't pass that test. The bar is high. Young passed it in the summer of 2014, although news of his commitment barely made headlines with the Cats then on a roll with rising senior recruits.
Similarly, Hudson's offer from Kentucky was huge news to he and the Scott County football family, as well as rabid recruiting watchers in the state. But it's not yet the kind of news story that would create waves in the national recruiting world. Still, it's worth noting that Kentucky's first five-star signing was jump-started by the same kind of early verbal offer that Hudson just received.
Schlarman still can't just reach out to Hudson any way he wants, and the contact he's had with the in-state lineman so far has been limited. It's a given that he, as the program's chief in-state recruiter, will forge a close relationship with Hudson. He's also his position coach, or he would be if Hudson lands in Lexington.
The Cats' offensive line coach hasn't even talked to Hudson about how he sees his growth, physically or as a player, playing out. Hudson is likely a tackle at the college level barring an unusual course of development.
"Coach Schlarman really didn't say anything about what I need to be in the future (position-wise), but my coach has," Hudson said. "I am predicted to be around 6'6 to 6'8 but obviously can't be sure. I've been told by doctors that I'm not done growing yet. That's all I know for sure.
"I like playing offensive line, and I like long snapping, too. But I'm hoping in the next few years I have in high school I'll be able to play some defense again."
Once again, there's a parallel with Young, a former defensive lineman from his earliest days at Lafayette.
Fans unfamiliar with the state's high school programs might see the "Go Cards!" on Hudson's Twitter bio, but that's a reference to Scott County's mascot. Not Louisville's.
Still, Louisville can't be counted out in Hudson's recruitment, even though they haven't offered.
"My oldest sister Halee is also on Louisville's track team, too, so it works for both of us," he said of the "Cards!" reference. "I've grown up a Kentucky fan and have went to several games when it worked out between my game schedule and (when) we could manage tickets. The last game we went to was actually the UK vs. U of L game last fall.
"Kentucky has always been a place I could possibly see myself playing, for sure," he said. "We usually have several track meets there over the course of the season. The UK throw coach talked to me when I was on campus in February, actually.
"I'm sure you're familiar with Landon Young, and like him I throw shot and discus, too."
Not only is Kentucky the first school to offer Hudson. The Class of 2019 physical prodigy -- who's also a good and thoughtful interview -- told Cats Illustrated that he hasn't heard that any other schools are even interested yet.
Expect that to change in a big way, perhaps in the same way that Young's recruitment changed over his years at Lafayette. From unknown, unproven, potential-laden youngster to offers from Alabama, Ohio State and others. Hudson would surely take a rise like that in a heartbeat, but there's a lot of work and also some things outside of his control between now and that potential parallel, still unrealized, with Young.
Hudson is just starting to make the rounds on the camp and combine circuit, which is the best way to improve his visibility as a 2019 recruit. He attended a Nike combine in March but hasn't been to any events outside of the Commmonwealth.
Whereas Young committed promptly following Kentucky's offer, here's a significant difference. Hudson, though a Kentucky fan from his younger years, hasn't hinted that he's ready to pull the trigger.
"I really feel like I've just gotten started with everything," he said.
He confirmed that he's eyeing "a few" potential camp dates and destinations this summer, but nothing's set in stone yet. Offer or not, it's safe to say Schlarman and Mark Stoops are hoping to see Hudson at one of their premier camps in Commonwealth Stadium.
