FIU’s offensive line exodus continues as senior Hudson transfers to the University of Florida
FIU offensive lineman Lyndell Hudson Jr. entered the transfer portal to play under coach Billy Napier and the University of Florida, per his agent Jaylon Pressley.
The Panthers veteran right tackle received offers from USF, UAB, Houston, Kent State, Norfolk, Old Dominion, Temple, Charlotte and Bethune-Cookman before committing to the Gators.
Hudson, 6-7, 315 pounds, was a three-year starter for FIU, appearing in all five games in 2020 and all 12 games in 2021. He was ranked as the team’s best offensive lineman by ProFootballFocus in 2022 and earned a spot in PFF’s College Team of the Week in Week 5.
His efforts on the offensive line allowed former Panthers running back D’Vonte Price — who’s second all time in rushing for FIU — to smash rushing records and lead Conference USA with 6.48 yards per carry in 2020.
When Hudson first heard about Florida’s offer, he knew right away that’s where he wanted to be.
“Florida man, that’s SEC ball. That’s hard to beat,” Hudson said. “Growing up, I was always a Florida Gators fan. So me getting the chance to play there, I can’t say no to that.”
Hudson expressed excitement at the opportunity to play under Napier and offensive coordinator Rob Sale, who was the previous offensive line coach for the New York Giants.
“[That’s] once in a lifetime,” said Hudson.
The Gators’ offensive line lost four key starters in the offseason; two to the NFL Draft and two as transfers to USC. In 2022, the team allowed 16 sacks in 13 games.
The redshirt senior’s departure raises questions about who will replace him at right tackle. In addition, redshirt junior Shamar Hobdy-Lee also entered the transfer portal in March.
Hudson is thankful for his time at FIU and believes it shaped him into a better player.
“FIU has done a lot. They’ve truly helped me find myself,” said Hudson. “Me going through four different offensive line coaches, I’ve picked up a little thing from each one. That ultimately, I believe, shaped my game to what it is today.”
Tennis
No. 36 FIU women’s tennis fell to No. 18 Auburn in the first round of the NCAA tournament in a hotly contested 4-3 match.
The Panthers had a promising start against the favored Tigers, taking the first doubles match of the game behind a strong performance from Salma Loudili and Katerina Mandelikova, winning 6-3 at the No. 3 spot.
After Ekaterina Khairutdinova and Kamila Umarova failed to complete their 4-1 rally, FIU snatched the doubles point for good with a victory by freshman Oyinlomo Quadre and sophomore Yasmine Kabbaj, 6-3.
But the 1-0 lead for the Panthers was short-lived as Auburn fired off three singles wins against Umarova, Kabbaj and Loudili to jump to a 3-1 advantage.
FIU was on the brink of elimination and would need to be perfect to come back.
Mandelikova kept the Panthers alive with a win over freshman Kaitlyn Carnicella, 7-6 (7-2), 6-3.
Soon after, Quadre, the Conference USA Freshman and Player of the Year, recorded the highest-ranked singles victory of her career, putting away No. 23 senior Carolyn Ansari to knot the match up 3-3, making it anyone’s game.
The fate of this one would be decided on Court No. 3.
Khairutdinova dropped the first set against freshman D.J. Bennett, 3-6, but confidently bounced back in the second set, 6-2.
Unfortunately for the Panthers, Khairutdinova couldn’t get it done in the third set, as Bennett would build a 5-3 lead and ultimately take the game for the Tigers, advancing the team into the second round.
Coach Katarina Petrovic believes that one factor in particular gave the Tigers a distinct advantage over the Panthers in this first-round matchup.
“I would say lack of experience was the deciding point,” said Petrovic. “This is the first time that we do have a three-freshman lineup. We had a chance, we won the double points and again, in my opinion, we fought until the very last point.”
Despite the loss, Petrovic expressed full faith in her core of freshmen players to come back stronger next year.
“See I believe the team was really giving 100 percent effort… Two out of three freshmen won and one freshman played a deciding match. So I would say that’s a big improvement and they’ll be ready for next year.”
The Panthers end their season with an 18-5 record, their best since 2017. This run marks the team’s 12th tournament appearance and third straight in three years.
Brian Olmo is the Sports Director for PantherNOW. William Duval is the assistant director.
Follow Brian Olmo and William Duval on Twitter at @Brian_Olmo11 and @WillDuval40
