Jordan Hudson wasn't much of a story during Dallas Cowboys training camp. Sure, there was initial excitement about a Garland, Texas, kid who played collegiately at TCU and SMU coming to America's Team and potentially carving out a role and surely becoming a fan favorite.
But it never really materialized during the summer, as other names like Camden Brown and Jonathan Mingo took center stage at the wide receiver position. With no chance to make the roster and no guarantee to make the practice squad, Hudson is attempting to make a return to college.
Yes, you read that right.
And after this news leaked, Hudson had a tremendous showing in the Cowboys' preseason finale against the New Orleans Saints, catching four big passes for 97 yards and a touchdown, which included a 52-yard catch and a 26-yarder that found paydirt.
That'll make the young man some cash, whether it be on the Cowboys' practice squad, another team's practice squad, or ... in college.
Cowboys' Jordan Hudson poised for big NIL deal after strong preseason finale
In case you haven't noticed, there is a wave of players who went undrafted this past spring and spent the offseason in NFL buildings but are now somehow eligible to play college football again this fall. It feels like opposite world.
Don't ask me to explain the rules; it's a bunch of complex legalese and people suing each other so that some big college programs can have a better shot at competing in a wild west landscape that seemingly has no actual rules, even though they somehow seem to be taking advantage of them.
Hudson's big outing against the Saints, combined with reports surfacing on Thursday that he was granted eligibility to return to the collegiate ranks and enter the transfer portal, means that the young player could get a major NIL bag from a college looking to kick its morals aside and win some games.
After a fairly quiet preseason, Hudson wasn't going to make much cash in the NFL. Again, this was a practice-squad-at-most situation. But he'll now be eligible to make millions of dollars in a major college football conference because the NCAA is a shadow government for rich college donors.
Okay, that's too far. We all love a bit of college football.
But it's astounding that a player who just scored a touchdown in an exhibition NFL game will potentially be back on a college sideline and taking classes here soon. Dallas still retains his rights if he makes a return next year, as I understand it, but again, nobody really understands it, and rules always change.
In summary, good on Hudson for having a big game, but it doesn't sound like it'll mean much for the Cowboys this season. If these reports are true, he'll cash in for one last go-around in college and perhaps come back to The Star for another chance at professional glory this time next year.
What an unprecedented time we're living in.
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