No. 1 College Football TE Recruit Announces Top 6 Schools

The player currently considered the best tight end in the 2027 college football recruiting class is nearing a consequential decision, and has narrowed his interest down to several high profile programs.

Five-star Ruston (La.) tight end Ahmad Hudson has revealed that he is down to six schools ahead of his final commitment revelation, including three SEC programs, two in the Big Ten, and one team that played for the national championship this past season.

Hometown Tigers are involved

LSU was named among those half dozen schools under consideration by the player as Lane Kiffin embarks on his first year with the program as head coach.

Hudson is poised to meet with LSU over this coming weekend after making several other visits over the last couple of years, but is getting more attention from Kiffin’s new regime and is eager to establish a closer connection with them.

Although outside the top 40 nationally, LSU’s recruiting haul in 2027 includes two solid pledges in No. 4 edge rusher Jaiden Bryant and No. 7 quarterback Peyton Houston.

Aggies in contention

Texas A&M is another SEC program getting attention from Hudson, currently ranking third in the 2027 recruiting rankings, according to an industry weighted class average.

Mike Elko’s current class is heavy on defensive prospects, including the two best safeties in the country, the fifth best cornerback, and fourth ranked defensive lineman.

“A&M has been one of my top schools from the jump... Especially the locker room, just seeing the brotherhood in the tight end room, it’s great,” the recruit told Rivals.

Hudson is set for a meeting with the Aggies at some point in April.

Mizzou’s recent hire could come into play

Missouri was listed as one of Hudson’s final six, and the school bringing on a former LSU assistant could play a role.

Eli Drinkwitz’s program brought on former LSU tight ends coach Alex Atkins to the same role, and it could be consequential for the recruit.

“You know, that’s my guy, really. Whatever school he went to was going to be in it regardless,” Hudson said, via Rivals.

Cornhuskers are in the mix

Ranked inside the 10 best recruiting classes in 2027, Nebraska is getting serious consideration from the five-star tight end.

Hudson has stated that the Cornhuskers have been in regular contact, including almost daily communication from senior personnel director and recruiter Keith Williams.

“Just talking with them every day, seeing what they’re building with this recruiting class. It’s something special and I could possibly see myself being a part of that,” Hudson said.

Who else is involved?

USC and Miami were the final two schools Hudson listed among his final six.

“It’s California. It doesn’t get much better than that,” he said of the Trojans, who ranked No. 1 in the 2026 recruiting cycle and are considered the seventh best class in 2027.

Right behind are the No. 8 ranked Hurricanes, who have the pledge of No. 14 tight end Demarcus Deroche, among other high profile skill commitments like sixth ranked wide receiver Nick Lennear and 31st ranked wideout Ah’Mari Stevens.

How he ranks as a recruit

No other tight end, and few players at any position on the field, is more highly thought of than Hudson in the 2027 class.

Hudson is currently listed as the No. 1 tight end prospect in the country and the fourth best player in Louisiana, according to an industry weighted average of the national recruiting services.

That average lists Hudson as the No. 14 overall recruit in the country irrespective of position and as a consensus five-star prospect nationally.

What he’s done on the field

Hudson is coming off a productive season for Ruston during the 2025 fall campaign.

The tight end was responsible for 61 receptions while covering 969 yards receiving and finished with 13 touchdown catches last fall, according to Rivals.

What the experts are saying

Right now, the hometown program appears to be running away with Hudson.

LSU leads the way by far with a projected 96.6 percent chance to earn the tight end’s final commitment, according to the Rivals Recruiting Prediction Machine model.

Nebraska is in second place but at a considerable distance, listed at 1.6 percent likelihood, according to that same metric.

(Rivals)