Woody Marks, RB, USC
Size:
Height: 5101
Weight: 207
Arm: 29 ⅛”
Hand: 9”
Accomplishments:
Four-star recruit
“Woody Marks is a well-proportioned and densely-built RB with a versatile skill set to make impactful plays from the line of scrimmage.”
Strengths:
Good overall athleticism/straight-line speed
Pass-catching threat out of the backfield
Well-proportioned/densely-built NFL RB frame
Concerns:
Missed three games due to injury
Inconsistent vision running between the tackles
Contact balance
Film Analysis:
Woody Marks spent the first four years of his collegiate career at Mississippi State before transferring to USC for the 2024 season. Throughout his collegiate career at both Mississippi State and USC, he showcased his dual-threat playmaking ability as a runner and receiver out of the backfield. Marks is a skilled runner who at USC showed that he was capable of executing in both zone and gap scheme runs. Marks catches the ball out of the backfield well and is a threat to turn plays that look to be headed for minimal gains into productive runs and significant yardage.
Marks executing zone runs and reads the field well from outside to inside. He is a slashing one-cut force runner who can plant and cut upfield between the gaps in the defensive front. Marks has good explosiveness and acceleration to pop through running lanes into the second/third levels of the defense. He is a patient runner who reads blocks and offensive linemen’s leverages and defensive flow as he presses a gap before deciding to stick with that running lane or bouncing the run based on the information provided. Marks has a densely built frame that makes handling contact from defenders easier. He can bounce off defenders and run through arm tackles for yards after contact.
Marks will make defenders miss one-on-one in a phone booth. He has an effective dead leg and deceleration to leave defenders grasping for air as he runs past them. Marks has quick enough feet to alter his run tempo and effectively cut across the grain to open space. He reads and cuts well to make big plays once he is past the first level of the defense and moving at a high speed/gear.
Catching the football out of the backfield comes naturally to Marks. Marks finishes his collegiate career with over 200 career receptions proving that he is a natural hands catcher that could be consistently relied upon in the passing game. Marks is effective at running the standard route tree and freeing himself up for a moment against defenders giving quarterbacks an opportunity to throw him the football.
Marks is equipped with an NFL frame but it is inconsistent with utilizing his power and physicality to execute runs. Marks also appears to need to improve his contact balance—some plays he powers through arm tackles and then some plays he is tripped up by an arm tackle aimed at his feet. Consistency will be key for Marks in the NFL for him having a prolonged career. Marks has all of the required physical tools along with proven production entering the NFL draft and for NFL franchises the question will be do they believe he can be an RB1 for their team or have to be a part of a committee.
Overall, Marks is a talented dual-threat running back. His blend of acceleration, elusiveness, and playmaking is NFL-caliber. Marks projects as an RB2 with talent upside to lead the pack, if given the opportunity.
Prospect Projection: Day 3 — Developmental Traits
Exposures: LSU (2024), Michigan (2024), Penn State (2024), Notre Dame (2024), Southeastern Louisiana (2023), Arizona (2023), LSU (2023), Alabama (2023)
