Football is a big man’s game, right? If this past week’s prep regular-season openers in Northwest Georgia were any indication, that perception is about to change.
A contingent of undersized (by football standards) athletes stole the show with several strong performances, led by North Murray senior Hudson Hulett, who accounted for 484 yards and six touchdowns Friday night in the Mountaineers’ 49-42 shootout win over Dalton.
Hulett has taken a similar path to high school stardom as former North Murray and University of Georgia standout Ladd McConkey, who’s entering his second NFL season and is already an indispensable part of the offense for the Los Angeles Chargers. The 5-11, 180-pound Hulett was, like McConkey, a receiver before being moved to quarterback for the Mountaineers, and, like McConkey during his North Murray days, he can score in a variety of ways.
Against the Catamounts, he had five touchdowns runs, including from 53 and 78 yards, while displaying McConkey-like speed and vision. Several of his big runs came on scrambles, including a 7-yard touchdown run in the third quarter when he was chased back to the 20 and eluded five Dalton defenders before powering his way into the end zone.
Hulett, who had 2,220 total yards last season, was 2-for-2 passing for 71 yards and a touchdown while also catching two balls for 77 yards from junior quarterback Harrison Horn, who transferred from Dalton and will allow Hulett to move around even more this season.