2023 Season Countdown: #45b Hudson Hollenbeck

Tag: Hudson Hollenbeck


4Aug 2023
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2023 Season Countdown: #45b Hudson Hollenbeck

Hudson Hollenbeck

Name: Hudson Hollenbeck
Height: 
6’2″
Weight: 
208 lbs.
High school: 
Collierville (TN) Collierville
Position: 
Kicker/punter
Class: 
Redshirt freshman
Jersey number: 
#90
Last year: 
Hollenbeck redshirted at Mississippi State.
TTB Rating:
 N/A

This seems like an appropriate place to slot Hollenbeck, who is in his first year at Michigan after transferring from Mississippi State. (Sadly, Mississippi State head coach Mike Leach passed away toward the end of last year.) Hollenbeck went to Starkville as a walk-on and comes to Ann Arbor as a walk-on. The Wolverines landed him and expect to use him as competition for kickoff duty. He fancies himself as a punter, where he will be battling with Tommy Doman, who is the expected starting punter and probably would have been handling kickoff duties if not for the arrival of Hollenbeck.

Right now it seems that Michigan has four specialists for three jobs, with Louisville transfer James Turner expected to kick field goals, Doman expected to punt, and then Hollenbeck and freshman Adam Samaha trying to get in where they fit in. I expect Samaha to be the odd man out in 2023. Hollenbeck says he’s kicking the ball 70-75 yards on kickoffs, which should be good enough for pretty consistent touchbacks. My guess is that he will be the kickoff specialist, but the other options reduce his individual importance for this season.

Prediction: Starting kickoff specialist

8May 2023
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2024 Recruiting Update: May 8, 2023

Charlotte (NC) Providence Day wide receiver Channing Goodwin (image via Twitter)

COMMITMENTS

Charlotte (NC) Providence Day wide receiver Channing Goodwin committed to Michigan (LINK).

Michigan got a commitment from Mississippi State walk-on transfer Hudson Hollenbeck (LINK).

ADDED TO THE BOARD: 2024

Upper Marlboro (MD) Charles Herbert Flowers cornerback Lloyd Irvin III was offered by Michigan. He’s a 6’3″, 175 lb. prospect with offers from Maryland, Virginia Tech, West Virginia, Wisconsin, and others.

OFF THE BOARD

Charlotte (NC) Christian wide receiver Micah Gilbert (4-star, #38 WR, #260 overall) committed to Notre Dame.

Atlanta (GA) Woodward Academy wide receiver Ben Grice committed to Wake Forest. Michigan just offered him last week.

Springfield (MO) Glendale defensive end Kellen Lindstrom (4-star, #27 DL, #228 overall) committed to Tennessee.

Tampa (FL) Carrollwood Day wide receiver Izaiah Williams (4-star, #48 WR, #325 overall) committed to Florida.

4May 2023
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Hudson Hollenbeck, Wolverine

Hudson Hollenbeck (image via Opendorse)

Kicker/punter Hudson Hollenbeck committed to Michigan on social media. He was a class of 2022 walk-on at Mississippi State but did not see the field last season.

I usually don’t do commitment posts for walk-ons, but this seems slightly different, since Hollenbeck is joining the team from another FBS program. (Reasons for the transfer are unclear at this point, but it’s important to remember that Mississippi State head coach Mike Leach died unexpectedly, so the program is going through a change this off-season.)

Hollenbeck is listed at 6’3″ and 195 lbs. on the Bulldogs’ roster. He was a 5-star and the #7 punter in the class of 2022, according to Kohl’s Kicking, and he was a 4.5-star kicker. He enters the program with four years of eligibility remaining.

Michigan’s kicking situation is in flux, because both specialists (kicker Jake Moody and punter Brad Robbins) were drafted in last weekend’s NFL Draft. The Wolverines recently got a commitment from Louisville kicker James Turner, but he has just one season remaining. Meanwhile, redshirt sophomore Tommy Doman and true freshman kicker Adam Samaha will both be on scholarship this fall. Doman has punted once for 41 yards and had 8 kickoffs (with 6 touchbacks) in his career so far.

I would suspect that Hollenbeck will compete for playing time with Doman on punts but may be more of a factor on kickoffs, which might prevent Doman from having to pull double duty.

Hollenbeck is originally from Collierville (TN) Collierville.

Here are Hudson Hollenbeck’s Hudl highlights (say that five times fast):