Transfer OT Committed Elsewhere Officially Visiting Florida

Florida is making a strong push for FIU offensive tackle transfer and current USF portal commitment Lyndell Hudson Jr.

Photo: Lyndell Hudson Jr.; Credit: Michael Berlfein (FIU Athletics) 

FIU offensive tackle, transfer portal prospect and current USF commitment Lyndell Hudson Jr. will visit Florida on an official basis this weekend, May 12-13, multiple sources told All Gators.

Hudson, a rising sixth-year senior, entered the transfer portal on March 24 with one season of eligibility remaining. He committed to the Bulls on May 3 but did not immediately enroll at USF, allowing Florida's coaching staff the opportunity to enter his recruitment and schedule the upcoming visit.

A 6-foot-6, 300-pound product of Brooksville (Fla.) Central, Hudson signed with the Panthers in the recruiting class of 2018. 

Hudson emerged as a multi-year first-teamer on FIU's offensive line, appearing in 38 games and making 25 starts between 2019-22 after redshirting in 2018. His 2022 season was limited due to a nagging back injury, although he reportedly played through the wound in a rotational role due to the Panthers' lacking offensive line depth. 

Pro Football Focus credits Hudson with 1,564 career offensive snaps logged, primarily at right tackle with 1,452 on the right side and 112 on the left. He posted a single-season career-high run-blocking grade of 82.3 (out of 100) in 2020 and performed his best as a pass-protector in 2022, giving up zero sacks on 247 such reps. 

Hudson has self-reported 16 transfer offers from programs such as USF, Texas Tech, Houston, Appalachian State and Temple since entering the portal. Three teams — the Bulls, Cougars and Owls — received visits from Hudson in late April.

Playable offensive line depth is a pressing need for Florida following the loss of four 2022 starters — left tackle Richard Gouraige and right guard O'Cyrus Torrence to the NFL, and left guard Ethan White and right tackle Michael Tarquin to the transfer portal — and three reserves (Josh Braun, Yousef Mugharbil and David Conner) this offseason.

The Gators made a handful of acquisitions to mend the line between Dec. 2022 and Feb. 2023, signing four prospects from the high school level and securing transfers from guard Micah Mazzccua (Baylor) and tackles Damieon George Jr. (Alabama) and Kiyaunta Goodwin (Kentucky). 

Mazzccua, however, was sidelined during Florida's spring practices with an undisclosed injury that required surgery. Head coach Billy Napier suggested the wound "is going to set him back" on March 28, and the projected starter did not take another snap before the training camp's conclusion.

Fellow Gators offensive linemen — starting center Kingsley Eguakun, tackle/guard Kamryn Waites and guard Jalen Farmer — missed varying stretches of spring practice due to injuries of their own, too, exposing a need for veteran reinforcement across the unit this summer. 

Several All-22 video clips of Hudson (No. 77) blocking for the Panthers can be observed below, via Football Transfer Prospects on YouTube. 

Stay tuned to All Gators for continuous coverage of Florida Gators football, basketball and recruiting. Follow along on social media at @AllGatorsOnFN on Twitter and All Gators on FanNation-Sports Illustrated on Facebook. 

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