Elite QB Hudson Card signs with Texas

When the No. 2 dual-threat quarterback in the country is in your backyard, he becomes a high priority, which is how Lake Travis standout Hudson Card became the first commitment to the Texas Longhorns 2020 class. Card has now officially signed with the Longhorns and plans to come in as an early enrollee.

After a promising start to his senior campaign, Card suffered what appeared to be a season-ending foot injury in the rivalry game against Westlake. Card chose for a non-surgical option and was able to return for a quarterfinal matchup against the Judson Rockets, passing for 342 yards and three touchdowns, adding in one rushing as well. The Cavaliers went on to face North Shore in the semifinals, but were unable to overcome the offense of Zach Evans and fell 49-38.

Card became the first member of the 2020 recruiting class immediately following his sophomore year of high school despite limited varsity experience at quarterback and quickly became a cornerstone for the Longhorns. Card earned his high ranking by passing for more than 3,500 yards and 50 touchdowns, while chipping in another 619 yards and nine touchdowns on the ground in his first year as the full-time starter for Lake Travis.

The 6’2.5, 179-pound quarterback is actually a fairly versatile athlete, a fact made evident by his abilities as a wide receiver prior to making the move to quarterback as a junior. In 2017, he racked up 1,137 yards and 13 touchdowns while catching passes from former teammate and current TCU Horned Frogs quarterback Matthew Baldwin.

Card is a bit undersized but fits well in Tom Herman’s usual mold of a quarterback, boasting an arm capable of making throws over the middle and down the sidelines, in addition to his abilities as a runner both on broken plays and designed runs. With Tim Beck still on campus to develop the quarterbacks, his development as a passer could look similar to the trajectory Sam Ehlinger has shown so far.

With the addition of Card and 2020 classmate Ja’Quinden Jackson, the Texas Longhorns go from three scholarship quarterbacks on campus to five, including Roschon Johnson. The depth at the position could open an opportunity for all three elite athletes to take a redshirt year to develop their skills in 2020, before open competition for the quarterback spot heading into the 2021 season.