Football recruiting news: Travis Hughes, Demetrious Nicholson and more

Football season is still months away but for many South Hampton Road athletes it never ends as some are going to combines, camps and making recruiting trips.

Here’s a look at what some of South Hampton Roads top players are doing.

Travis Hughes

Travis Hughes, a rising Kempsville senior, has been getting a lot of attention. The 6-foot-1, 220-pound linebacker/running back has 15 offers, including one from LSU last night.

The second-team All-Tidewater running back also has offers from Virginia Tech, Maryland, North Carolina, N.C. State, West Virginia, Virginia, Louisville, South Carolina, Clemson, East Carolina, Texas Tech, Oregon, Penn State and Connecticut.

“I’ve been getting all sorts of offers,” Hughes said Thursday night. “This has definitely been a shock.  I wanted to commit before the season but now that I’m getting a lot of major offers, I want to go on all of official visits.”

Hughes’ father, Tony, has been through this recruiting process before with his older son, Trenton, who now plays at Maryland. But even he has been taken back by the attention Travis has received.

“This is really different because the offers have been coming in from all over and early. What I did learn from the last time is that you have to be wide about your decision. You have to know the depth chart of each team, the tenure of the coach, how they are academically as far as their graduation rate and are tutors on top of the players. Those are the main things we’re looking at.”

His father said the favorites – right now – are Maryland, Virginia Tech, Clemson, South Carolina and North Carolina. He also said Virginia “has really come on strong.”

“We’ve been to Maryland and Virginia Tech. We’re going to Virginia this weekend. The following week we’re going to North Carolina, N.C. State and Clemson.”

It’s going to be an interesting next few months for Travis Hughes.

Demetrious Nicholson

Demetrious Nicholson, the smooth Bayside two-way starter, is having an incredible off-season.

Nicholson, 5-11 and 175 pounds, is a rising senior who is opening eyes. Two weeks ago, he was named MVP of the Premier Showcase at Rutgers. He is blowing up so much that he’s got offers from many ACC schools, Stanford and West Virginia.

“He’s got nine offers now but it will definitely go up after this,” Bayside coach Darnell Moore said about the rising senior.

Nicholson proved to be the most consistent corner during the one-on-one drills. He also showed incredible ability to change direction and break on the ball.

“They also said his backpedal was flawless,” Moore said about Nicholson, who had more than 700 receiving yards and nearly 10 interceptions last season.

Expect many offers to keep coming in for Nicholson.

Brad Hudson

Great Bridge quarterback Brad Hudson is taking his passing skills around the country.

Hudson, 6-foot-3 and 200 pounds, has been invited to attend the Top Gun Camp at Southern Methodist University. If he does well there, he’ll attend a camp in California. And if he does well there, wll he could be headed to Hawaii.

Hudson, who was second-team All-Tidewater last season, completed 127 of 246 passes for 2,206 yards and 23 touchdowns. 

Commitments

Western Branch offensive lineman Jarod Lindner, 6-foot-2 and 255 pounds, has committed to play at Christopher Newport University.

 

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