Hudson Hollenbeck has had quite the journey from Tennessee to Michigan football 's starting punter

It began in his hometown of Collierville, Tennessee, continued with a season at Mississippi State and then featured nearly two full seasons in Ann Arbor in which his only on-field action was as a holder on extra-point attempts. That is, until he was handed the punting role in the ReliaQuest Bowl and reigned in U-M's season-ending victory over Alabama on Dec. 31, 2024.

Three full years for a former five-star punter – a top-seven recruit at his position – is fare from the usual route.

And yet, for Hollenbeck, it's nowhere near his toughest journey.

His mother, Gina, was diagnosed with Stage 4 lung cancer in his youth; she died from cancer shortly before he left for Mississippi State in 2

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