Khaleke Hudson 'Loves' Special Teams, Willing To Play Any Position In NFL

Khaleke Hudson was a three-time All-Big Ten honoree (second team, coaches, 2019; third team, media, 2019; honorable mention, coaches, 2017-18 and media, 2018) at Michigan. In his senior season, he led the team in tackles with 102, while adding 3.5 TFLs, two sacks and three pass breakups.

Hudson is one of 11 former Wolverines at the NFL Combine this week. Most outlets have him as a sixth or seventh-round pick in April's draft. Hudson will participate in every drill that's asked of him, except the 60-yard shuttle. He's also had several informal meetings with NFL teams this week, and said he has some formal meetings still to come.

Hudson played the viper linebacker position at U-M, and has the versatility to play both in the box as an outside backer and in the defensive backfield. He will primarily workout with the linebackers this week, but is willing to do any extra drills thrown his way.

"As of right now, I’m just working out with the linebackers," Hudson said. "I’m not really sure what they want me to do right now, and if they want me to do any extra drills, I’m open to doing that."

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Hudson has been working out at ProActive Sports Performance in Santa Ana, Calif., with other draft prospects, including U-M's former left guard Ben Bredeson. Hudson, who weighed in this week at 224 pounds, said he hopes to run a 40-yard dash in the low 4.5s or high 4.4s.

"One of the main things I’ve been working on is obviously the 40-yard dash, just trying to get my technique right, trying to get faster," he said. "Just the overall drills, as a whole, all the linebacker drills, some DB drills, also. Just being able to be ready for everything that’s thrown at me."

As far the position that he'll play at the next level, Hudson doesn't have a preference.

"I’ll play anywhere, from in the box to if a team wants me to play safety," he said. "Teams have been talking to me about both positions. They’re trying to sort out where they see me at.

"I just want to be able to get on an organization and be able to represent myself and my family as best as I can."

Something that could help him get on an NFL roster, and stay there, is his reputation as a game-changing special teams player. Hudson blocked five punts during his U-M career, something that has peaked the interest of several NFL teams.

"I really take special teams very seriously," Hudson said. "I believe it’s the most important phase in the game. If you’re not a starter on defense, you gotta be a special teams player, and if you’re not a special teams player, you’re probably not going to be on the team. That’s how important it is.

"Going to the NFL has been a big dream of mine. If special teams is the way I can get on the field early and be able to make an impact on a team, then that’s what I’ll do.

"I love special teams. I don’t like it, I love it."

When asked if he gets more of a rush out of a tackle for loss or a blocked punt, he went with the block.

"Definitely a blocked punt," he retorted. "That’s a game-changer right there. There’s a stat, if a team gets a blocked punt, they have like a 75 percent chance of winning, so I love blocking punts."

Hudson believes his experience as a versatile player for the Wolverines, and his overall experience as a student athlete, helped prepare him for the challenge of competing at the next level.

"I feel like I’m able to do multiple things on the field, just like I showed at Michigan.

"It’s been the best four years of my life, at Michigan. Leaving McKeesport [Penn.], venturing all by myself and becoming a man, it’s made me who I am today. I’m grateful for the opportunity that the Michigan coaches gave me, grateful for the people that helped me get to this spot. All the people from McKeesport, all the people from Michigan and all the people throughout the way that helped me get to this spot, I’m so grateful for them."

• Hudson was asked which fellow U-M player at the combine will surprise people this week. He chose wide receiver Donovan Peoples-Jones.

"I believe Donovan Peoples-Jones is going to surprise a lot of people," he said. "At Michigan, we did a lot of mock combine drills, to get ready for this moment. And, what he was doing at Michigan was unbelievable. I just can’t wait to watch him to see what he does and to prove all his doubters wrong."

• Hudson said he has kept into close contact with Devin Bush, a former teammate in the same class at U-M, during Bush's first season in the NFL, with the Pittsburgh Steelers.

"I watched him a lot," Hudson said. "I actually went to the game when they played against the Ravens. I always stay in touch with Dev. He gave me some advice coming into here, on what I should look for, what I should do. I always watch his games, just to see what he’s doing, and try to inherit some of the stuff that he’s doing in his game.

"I believe we’re similar as players. We’re close to the same height, and we did close to the same things at Michigan, like blitzing and playing man-to-man and having big plays. I would compare our games."

He watched Chase Winovich in his rookie season with the Patriots, as well.

"I watched him a lot, too," Hudson said. "He did pretty good with the Patriots this year. He was big on special teams this year, also. He just honed it in and is still getting comfortable with the scheme that they’re doing. I’m very proud of him also."

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