As is the case whenever one of the best prospects in the country is considered a possible flip target, fans around the country will look for any indications that the player is hinting that something is about to happen. Having said that, Ahmad Hudson could have paid for a billboard on I-80 that said: “I love Nebraska,” and fans would have noticed it less than the shoes he wore during his first game of the year for Ruston High.
The top tight end in the 2027 class, Hudson has long been a commit to home-state LSU. However, ever since he gave his pledge to Lane Kiffin and Co., there have been many hints, whispers, and rumors that he will eventually change his mind and commit to Nebraska and sign with them come National Signing Day in December.
This past weekend, Hudson opened his final year of high school football in the preseason Bayou Jamb against Evangel Christian on August 29. As Ruston rolled to a 49-14 victory in the exhibition game, Hudson caught an 8-yard touchdown pass while wearing a very noticeable pair of footwear. Chesler Customs LLC, a company run by an artist out of Omaha, Nebraska, posted a picture of Hudson in his Ruston uniform, wearing a new pair of shoes designed especially for him.
The shoes, which sport his name, “#1 tight end,” and three bones in a row, happen to be bright red, obviously one of the official colors of the Nebraska football program. The bones weren't arranged in the skull-and-crossbones pattern the Huskers’ defense is known for, but it still felt like a potential allusion to NU, given the color scheme.
5 ⭐️ TE @AhmadHudson9 started off this season in his custom cleats! 🏈☠️ #customcleats #football #huskers #artist pic.twitter.com/fh5HP7wjRF
— Chesler_customsllc (@Chesler_Customs) September 1, 2026
Nebraska football has reasons for Ahmad Hudson optimism despite LSU commitment
And then, of course, the company that made the shoes included the hashtag #huskers in the social media post showing off the shoes, which had plenty of people believing this might have been another clue slapping them in the face.
If this is a hint, it certainly wouldn’t be the first time a high school kid has chosen apparel as a way to hint at where they’re going to school. One of the more famous cases in recent years is when Notre Dame quarterback commit Deuce Knight was spotted using an Auburn towel during workouts. Just a few weeks after pictures of the prospect in that apparel, he did indeed flip to the Tigers after repeatedly swearing to anyone who would listen that he was Fighting Irish, tried and true.
One big caveat Husker fans should keep in mind before getting too excited is that while the bright red cleats could be a hint at NU, Hudson’s Ruston team’s colors also involve quite a bit of red. His new cleats (which don’t specifically mention the Huskers the way Knight’s towel mentioned Auburn) may simply match the uniform scheme.
Whether Ahmad Hudson chose that design and those shoes as a hint towards Nebraska will be determined soon enough. While the top tight end prospect in the 2027 class currently only has one official visit scheduled this fall, and it’s to LSU, he’s talked about wanting to check out Memorial Stadium on a game day, often. If he follows through on that interest, the visit could absolutely involve a flip, and plenty of fans will point to his shoes as the ultimate tip-off.
Add us as a preferred source on Google