Since arriving on campus in 2021, Hudson Wolfe has witnessed first hand the Ole Miss football program rise from SEC obscurity to now become a legitimate championship caliber program. That said, Wolfe himself has had his fair share of turbulence personally during that time.
His career has been marred by injuries from the very beginning. He suffered a labrum tear during fall camp of his freshman year, then suffered a season-ending back injury as a sophomore and then this past year, broke his collar bone while making his very first collegiate catch against Mercer. Simply put, his playing career has not gone as planned, with just three receptions and 41 yards in three seasons as a Rebel.
As tough as that has been for him, he’s had to remind himself that there is a team and organization around him at the end of the day. What he does off the field can benefit the program as well, and that has kept him going through all the tough times.
“There’s been challenges physically and mentally throughout this whole process,” Wolfe told Inside the Rebels. “But I love ball, I love what we have going on here. Even through those trials and tribulations, I try to do my part, whatever can benefit this team and take us to the next level. That goes back to the culture aspect of it. (Lane) Kiffin has instilled a culture for our guys, to be bought into that culture, it’s bigger than you. You put the team ahead of you. That’s been one of the things I’ve thought about throughout this whole process. I’ve had to be very patient through it. Each year, I keep hoping this will be the year. But no matter what happens, the team is bigger than me. I will do whatever my part is. We all have a role on this team, big or small. You need every role to be successful.”
“Even through those things, with the brotherhood we have around this team, there was never anyone that looked at me and said I wasn’t going to make it. I was able to lean on my brothers and my team. They were always a word of encouragement of ‘man, you’ve been through this before, where you know how to get through these things… All it takes is putting one foot in front of the other and getting through the next step. ‘How are we going to make it through the day, doing things the right way in order to be successful at the end of the day?'”
Wolfe’s injuries have forced him to play catch-up nearly from the start in terms of player development. As a result, he has set himself the goal of improving all elements of his gameplay.
When it comes to offseason competition, it’s now a new slate, just as it has been under Lane Kiffin, and Wolfe is joined by a plethora of talent in a tight end group that includes Peach Bowl MVP Caden Prieskorn, Virginia Tech transfer Dae’Quan Wright, Jayvontay Conner, and true freshman Dillon Hipp. All will be overseen by Joe Cox, a new tight ends coach who has already made an impression as a football coach and recruiter.
