Courtesy report
CHICAGO (March 20, 2026) — In its 41st year celebrating the nation’s best high school athletes, Gatorade today announced Ahmad Hudson of Ruston High School is the 2025-26 Gatorade Louisiana Boys Basketball Player of the Year.
Gatorade Player of the Year is the top honor in high school sports, celebrating the nation’s best high school athletes for their excellence in sport, academics and community. The award recognizes Hudson as Louisiana’s best high school boys basketball player, and he joins an elite legacy that spans professional athletes and coaches to CEOs, such as Jayson Tatum (2015-16, Chaminade College Preparatory School, MO), Cooper Flagg (2023-24, Montverde Academy, FL) and Cameron Boozer (2022-23 & 2024-25, Christopher Columbus High School, FL).
The 6-foot-8, 250-pound junior forward and center averaged 19.7 points and 13.5 rebounds per game this past season, leading the Bearcats (23-4) to the Division I Non-Select State Tournament championship game. Hudson also averaged 3.0 blocks, 2.1 assists and 2.0 steals, recording 32 points, 24 rebounds, seven blocks and four steals in Ruston’s 63-60 loss to Zachary High School in the state final. The 2025 Class 5A State Player of the Year, Hudson is ranked as one of the nation’s Top 25 prospects in his class as both a basketball forward and football tight end.
Hudson has volunteered locally at his former elementary school and with the Boys and Girls Clubs of North Louisiana, assisting with homework and creative activities. A participant in a children’s ministry, he has also donated his time to fundraising campaigns for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. “Ahmad is a man amongst boys at the high school level,” said Matt McKay, Pro Insight Founder & CEO. “Beyond his outlier physical tools, he has a blossoming two-way skillset that seemingly develops further with each viewing.”
Hudson has maintained an A-minus average in the classroom. He will begin his senior year of high school this fall. The Gatorade Player of the Year program annually recognizes one state winner from each of the 50 states and Washington D.C., in 12 different sports: football, girls volleyball, boys and girls cross country, boys and girls basketball, baseball, softball, boys and girls soccer, and boys and girls track & field. In total, 610 high school athletes are honored each year.
From the pool of state winners, one national winner is selected in each of the 12 sports. The selection process is administered by the Gatorade Player of the Year Selection Committee, which leverages experts including coaches, scouts, media and others as sources to help evaluate and determine the winners in each sport.
As part of Gatorade’s commitment to breaking down barriers in sport, every Player of the Year also receives a grant to donate to a social impact partner. To date, the Gatorade Player of the Year program has provided more than $6.4 million in grants to winners across more than 2,200 organizations.
To learn more about the Gatorade Player of the Year program, check out past winners or to nominate student-athletes, visit playeroftheyear.gatorade.com or follow us on social media on Instagram at instagram.com/Gatorade, Facebook at facebook.com/GatoradePOY and X(Twitter) at x.com/Gatorade.
