One of the most popular WVU players in the last two years of the Neal Brown era was wide receiver Hudson Clement. The West Virginia native surprised fans and coaches over the 2023 and 2024 seasons by becoming the most consistent receiver on the team. Clement’s football journey would take a turn when he transferred to Illinois for the 2025 season. With the season nearing its end, Clement’s tenure in Illinois is not looking the same as it was in Morgantown.
Clement’s football journey began in his hometown of Martinsburg, West Virginia, where he won the Randy Moss Award in high school for being the best wide receiver in the state. Clement then joined the Mountaineers as a walk-on and redshirted in 2022. On November 9, 2023, Clement caught five passes for 177 yards and a touchdown against Duquesne. After the game, Clement was rewarded a scholarship and became a main contributor for WVU. Despite only scoring one more touchdown the rest of the 2023 season, Clement finished with 480 receiving yards and a clear role heading into the next season.
In 2024, Clement took his talents to the next level by leading the team in receiving yards with 741 and scoring five touchdowns. His standout game was in the Scooter’s Coffee Frisco Bowl where he had 11 receptions for 166 yards and two touchdowns against the Memphis Tigers.
With the firing of Neal Brown, Clement had the option to stay in his home state and return with teammates such as Rodney Gallagher III, Preston Fox, and Jaden Bray. Clement chose to enter the transfer portal and join his younger brother Murphy at Illinois.
"I just want to take a second to thank WVU for allowing me to showcase what I'm capable of and helping me grow as a football player and as a man," Clement said in his goodbye message. "Huge thanks to Coach Lai, Coach Brown, Coach Scott and Coach Mike Joe. These guys made me the player I am today. Would like to thank the support staff also for helping me so much. Big shoutout to all my teammates I played with at WVU, y'all my brothers for life. Even though I will be continuing my career elsewhere, I will always have a special place in my heart for WVU. With that being said, I hope everyone can respect my decision. This was best for me and my family and I will continue my career at Illinois. Thank you, West Virginia University!"
Hudson Clement’s decision upset many Mountaineer fans, hoping he would be a part of the new Rich Rodriguez era. Some thought he transferred due to NIL, but Clement was quick to respond to those claims and the other backlash.
“Folks want me to do what makes them happy, not what's best for me,” Clement said in a responding post. “Y'all don't know me and don't know what I've been through. Never chased a bag, always chased better opportunities. Appreciate the ones who helped me get here but I don't owe no one anything.”
Now a redshirt junior, Clement has played in every game this season for the Fighting Illini in 2025. Despite staying healthy, Clement has not found the same consistent success he had with the Mountaineers. So far this season, Clement only has 281 receiving yards and one touchdown. His 281 receiving yards are third on the team as he is currently playing behind teammate receivers Hank Beatty and Collin Dixon. Clement was struggling to make a considerable impact for Illinois as he could not achieve more than 50 receiving yards in a single game.
In Illinois’ most recent game against Rutgers, Clement potentially turned a corner for his season. Against the Scarlet Knights, Clement caught five passes for a season-high total of 84 yards and scored his first touchdown of the season. His receiving yards led the team and helped Illinois beat Rutgers by a score of 35-13.
“Just remaining confident in myself. I know I can make those plays,” Clement said after his game against Rutgers. “They weren't happening how I wanted them to earlier in the season, but having a game like this really helped me remember who I am and I am very fortunate.”
With three games remaining in the regular season for Illinois, Hudson Clement is looking to build on the momentum he established against Rutgers. Despite leaving what might’ve been a better situation in Morgantown, Clement believed in himself and continues to strive to have a positive impact on Illinois for the rest of the 2025 season.