ORLANDO — Kobe Hudson gets one last shot to make some memories inside the Bounce House on Saturday afternoon, and the first of several opportunities over the next three months to make an impression on NFL scouts and front office personnel.
Hudson is one of five UCF football players — along with running back Peny Boone, offensive tackle Amari Kight, defensive tackle Ricky Barber and long snapper Gage King — set to take part in the Hula Bowl at FBC Mortgage Stadium. Kickoff is scheduled for noon.
Last week, however, Hudson received good news in the form of an invitation to the NFL scouting combine — the league’s premier pre-draft evaluation event, held in Indianapolis from Feb. 27 through March 2.
“It’s just an awesome opportunity,” Hudson said. “As a kid, you just dream of those types of things. It’s a blessing to be able to be invited to the combine.
“I wasn’t really surprised. I worked, and I feel like I’ve set myself up and that God has put me in a position to be able to be invited.”
Hudson led the Knights across the board in all major receiving categories during the 2024 season, one in which the team finished 4-8, ultimately resulting in Gus Malzahn’s resignation as head coach to accept the offensive coordinator position at Florida State. The 6-foot-1, 200-pound fifth-year senior from Pine Mountain, Georgia, caught 47 passes for 770 yards and four touchdowns as Malzahn rotated through four starting quarterbacks.
According to Pro Football Focus, Hudson hauled in 13 contested catches on 28 attempts and was charged with six drops. His best performance of the season came in UCF’s 21-point comeback win at TCU, in which he recorded six receptions on 10 targets for 145 yards and two touchdowns — including the go-ahead, 20-yard score with 36 seconds left.
In speaking with nearly a dozen scouts over the first two days of Hula Bowl festivities, Hudson said they like his release off the line of scrimmage and ball-tracking in the air. As for constructive criticism, he intends to showcase the abilities to run after the catch and create separation downfield.
“I feel like I learned a lot during this season,” Hudson said. “I want to prove everything that they say I can’t do, all the things they say I lack and all the areas they say I’m weak in. I just hope I can prove them wrong.”
Therein lies another of Hudson’s strengths, teammate Barber believes after three years’ worth of games, practices and workout sessions: his competitiveness.
“He wants to beat you in checkers if he can,” Barber said. “He’s a flat-out dog.”
UCF will be represented at two more renowned college football all-star games over the next month.
Running back RJ Harvey, the program’s all-time leader in touchdowns, and cornerbacks BJ Adams and Mac McWilliams will attend the Reese’s Senior Bowl in Mobile, Alabama (game at 2:30 p.m. on Feb. 1), while linebacker Deshawn Pace competes at the East-West Shrine Bowl in Arlington, Texas (7 p.m. on Jan. 30).
The Knights had two players selected in the 2024 NFL draft. Wide receiver Javon Baker, a longtime friend of Hudson’s, went 110th overall to the New England Patriots, and offensive tackle Tylan Grable was picked 204th by the Buffalo Bills.
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