2019 4-star DL prospect says "Oregon has stood out a lot"
By his 8th grade year in 2014, Keyon Ware-Hudson had already grown to six-foot-one and 222 pounds.
That season Keyon and four of his current Mater Dei High teammates played together on the Inland Empire Ducks, an age-group juggernaut of early bloomers that won a national championship in the American Youth Football Conference.
Even then Hudson-Ware was a football prodigy with a seemingly unlimited future. Playing linebacker, tight end and fullback he racked up 70 tackles and 16 sacks, numbers that earned him spots in the Eastbay Youth All-America Bowl and the NUC All-West Game.
At the Los Angeles Nike SPARQ Combine he got scouts reaching for their notepads, seeing an 8th grader toss the powerball 33 feet, a manchild who towered over most of his peers but still finished in the first 10 in the 40-yard-dash. Already he could run in the 4.8s, with the physical development of kids two and three years older.
Another fall came, and Ware-Hudson became the first freshman to start a varsity game in the 13-year history of Vista Murrieta High. He earned his first start in game four, finishing with 73 tackles and 12 sacks. MaxPreps named him to their Freshman All-American team.
By his sophomore year Keyon had grown to 6-2, 265. He became an All-State selection and made first team All-CIF, a strongside defensive end in one of the hardest divisions in the country. His second straight stellar season included 63 tackles, 11 sacks, and 19 tackles for loss. He plucked a pass out of the air for an interception while breaking free on a bullrush. He showed his versatility by grabbing a pass in the flat from his fullback position for a touchdown on offense.
Big, strong, athletic and mobile, Hudson-Ware had grown into a premier division one prospect. By the spring of his sophomore year he'd reach 6-3, 285. He could run the 40 in 4.7, and a regimen of speed, strength and agility training was improving his skills every day.
Offers came quickly. He attended an Arizona satellite camp and got an offer to play for the Wildcats. He attended USC camp and his childhood dream school, the Trojans, offered. Florida State, Clemson, Alabama and Michigan started sending him letters. Rivals awarded him a fourth star in their first set of 2019 rankings, rating him the #11 SDE in the country, the #111 player overall in his class. The list grew to 15 as Tennessee became his first official offer from the SEC.
His talent and size marked him as one of the most coveted recruits in his class, an impact player with a still-developing NFL body and quickness off the line. Grounded and gifted, there didn't seem to be any limit to his potential or the amount of attention he was getting as the rarest of the rare, a big player who could move on the West Coast.
With the advice of his father, Chance Hudson, Keyon and his younger brother Kyron made the decision to transfer to Mater Dei, a Southern California powerhouse ranked 2nd in the country in the national high school polls from both USA Today and Max Preps.
The Monarchs are among the kings of California prep football. They've produced countless D-1 and NFL players while winning 9 CIF championships, 27 league championship, achieving 5 undefeated seasons and two USA Today National Championships in their storied history.
Keyon works twice a week with a private position coach, Tre'Jon Lewis, who works him through position-specific strength, speed and agility training.
Having seen him grow to 6-3 and 285, the Mater Dei coaches are moving him inside to play a 2-gap role in the defense. His size and mobility could make him one of the top recruits in the West if he achieves a full recovery and continues to develop.
Everything lined up for a recruiting explosion until it didn't. This season Hudson-Ware has met the sternest test of his young life, his football dream hitting two giant snags.
An injury he suffered at Vista Murrieta required surgery and an extensive rehab. Then, as a transfer student-athlete, CIF guidelines require him to sit out the first five games of the season. He'll sit out big nationally-televised showdowns with Bishop Gorman and Bergen Catholic of New Jersey.
DSA sat down for a phone interview with Hudson Ware and his father to talk about his recruitment, his interest in Oregon and the challenge of growing through an injury and his transfer period:
On sitting out and working through rehab:
“It’s real hard, it’s like ‘building anger inside me.”
What he's focusing on while he is sidelined:
“A lot of hand work, and speed and strength, pressing a lot, doing a lot of that stuff to work on my craft once I come back.”
Decision to transfer to Mater Dei:
“A better opportunity for me and my younger brother, especially academic-wise, to prepare me for college, to have a better understanding.”
“We just got ranked the number one team in the country right now.”
“It’s a good place to prepare me to be ready for college, once I have to face it. My grades are 3.0 and above, 3.4, 3.3. I’ve been trying to study more on the academics. I would like to get to 3.6 since I’m out, study on it more.”
Advice from parents about recruiting:
“Especially my dad, he’s been telling me a lot, to be patient on my options, lay everything out, look at everything, all the depth charts, the rosters, go somewhere I would love and be treated very well.”
Unofficial visits he's taken:
“I’ve been to Oregon, which I loved. USC, Arizona, Arizona State, UCLA. Those are the ones that I’ve been so far.”
Impressions of Oregon:
“I loved it. Their facility, their coaching is unbelievable. Their atmosphere is crazy, unexplainable really. Willie Taggart is going pretty good with his recruitment. He’s changing the whole process there and everything, building something special.”
Father Chance Hudson added:
“It was an amazing trip. We came up for the Oregon Spring Game. Loved the coaches and the facilities. They were second to none. And I’m from Alabama. LOL.”
Taggart seems to really relate well to players.
“Yes sir, and he brought a really good D-line coach in Joe Salave’a, who we keep in contact with all the time.”
How often does Coach Salave'a call you or text you?
“Every week, almost every weekend. We call him, he calls us, lets us know when he’s going to call. We have a good connection so far.”
“He’s played in the NFL for like 10-plus years. He’s trying to teach me to go to where he has been.”
What are your strengths as a football player?
“My strengths are mainly my get-off, my speed, my hands. I’m physical off the ball, when I attach to the offensive tackle. But now I gained, I’m up to like 285 now. I’m also stronger so I might move inside.”
Do you do any work with a private coach or a trainer?
“Yes sir, I have a private coach, Tra' Jon Lewis. I see about twice a week, working on all the special techniques, my hands, strength also.”
How much time do you spend in the weight room?
“Almost every day after school I’m in there.”
How do feel you need to improve as a player? How do you want to get better?
“Smarter, better understanding of the game, how the offensive tackle gets off the ball, how their feet placements are. The offensive formation, get a better understanding of how the play is going to turn out. And perfect my technique also.”
“After college I’m really looking forward to making the NFL. Probably after my retirement I will be studying criminal justice.”
Do any schools stand out to you at this point? When I look online it looks like USC and Arizona are schools that are mentioned about you a lot?”
“As of right now, Oregon has stood out a lot. They keep in contact all the time. USC, I go down there probably once a month. UCLA’s keeping in contact. I have visits planned this year, so I’m going to see how that goes.”
So you can’t play for five weeks. Are you just going to keep grinding until you get your chance?
“Yes sir. I’m going to stay in the weight room and get stronger, and stay in the film room, learn more about the new scheme that we’re running, especially with the 3-front that Mater Dei runs and try to get used to that.”
How are the responsibilities different in a 3-4 front versus the 4-3 front?
“In the 4-front I was usually a pass rusher coming from the outside, get to the quarterback. As an inside, I’m going to probably play two-gap. I’ll have to stuff the run, sort of like a bullrush, clog the gap you can say.”
Do you feel comfortable in that role? Is it at all frustrating that you don’t get to be aggressive, get the sacks and stats?
“I feel comfortable at any position on the line. I just want to beat the guy that’s in front of me. All I care about is to get to the quarterback, past the guy in front of me.”
It’s got to be good for your development, to play a variety of roles and techniques.
“Right. I played linebacker in youth football, so I’m familiar with the linebacker skills and techniques also.”
Keyon, do you play any offense at all, or strictly defense?
“I play tight end and fullback.”
It’s gotta be fun to to get a chance to touch the ball.
(laughs) “Yes sir. I scored some touchdowns at Vista Murrieta also.”
You played freshman basketball and did the shotput. Are you still playing other sports?
“Basketball I’m still deciding, whether I should try to focus more on football and school this fall. Since I’m at Mater Dei with their good program, I might decide to just stay with football. I’m still talking to my parents about that.”
Additional comments from Chance Hudson, father:
“We have some plans to visit this year, especially with his injury. He got injured before he transferred. It’s kind of working out good, where we have to utilize the 5-game sit-out for the transfer and allow him to get stronger. During that timeframe we have some plans to visit.”
“We’re going to make it up to Oregon, to come up to Oregon for a game. We’ve been talking to Coach Salave’a, trying to find the best time to come up there. We also have some trips to teams in the SEC and the ACC that we’re trying to schedule as well.”
“He’s expecting after this year, a big year and a lot more attention. We’re just trying to stay grounded, trying to be patient and keep developing these relationships and find the school that best fits him.”