Daniel Seahorn
On the 40
- Joined
- Oct 15, 2015
- Messages
- 8,458
[SIZE=12pt]It appears Texas is having their pick of the litter when it comes to the talented in-state crop of recruits. This time Tom Herman and his staff landed their first outside wide receiver of the cycle, and its fourth Top 10 recruit in the state. Once again, it appears Tom Herman’s time and experience recruiting at Houston helped him to establish a relationship that was key in landing one of the best receivers in a state full of them. Al’Vonte Woodard’s second offer ever came from Tom Herman and his staff back in January of 2016 and since then the staff has been cultivating the relationship.[/SIZE]
[SIZE=12pt]After proving himself to be a talented receiver during the camp cycle, he drew interest from teams like LSU, Ohio State, Texas A&M, Alabama, and many more. However, Tom Herman obviously knew what Woodard was capable of before the camps as Woodard was one of the first to get an offer when Herman got to Texas.[/SIZE]
[SIZE=12pt]Now, Longhorn fans and coaches can rejoice as an elite talent in the country has chosen to head up to Austin and suit up in the burnt orange.[/SIZE]
[SIZE=12pt]Film Analysis[/SIZE]
[SIZE=12pt]If you’re on defense, you better not get parallel with Woodard. At 6’1â€, 193 lbs, and a 4.6-forty, Woodard is built to take the top off the defense. In fact, he does this quite well. Woodard always seems to find his way past the corner and behind the safety for the quarterback to lay up the deep ball. Also, don’t let that 4.6-forty make you think that “he may not be that fast.†Woodard has displayed some very deceptive field speed given his size, and seems to be even faster in pads.[/SIZE]
[SIZE=12pt]From what I’ve seen live, Woodard’s hands are more than reliable - they’re insane. He snatches balls out of mid-air that make you do a double take. And no matter where the ball is thrown, who is around/on top of him, and how hard a ball may be thrown, he seems to be able to locate the ball mid-air and position himself to come down with the ball every single time.[/SIZE]
[SIZE=12pt]With the ball in his hands, it’s hard to bring him down. There have been numerous occasions where Woodard just powered his way out of the arms of a sure tackle or just flat out ran through a defensive back.[/SIZE]
[SIZE=12pt]The main knock that I’ve heard some coaches have on Woodard is that it seems he maybe only has three routes in his arsenal: the go (or a variation of it), the comeback, and the screen. However, I’ve seen him run a nasty stick and square-in. However, I don’t think it matters as he is a very coachable player who has all of the tools necessary to expand his route tree if needed. I’ve yet to see a wide receiver whose route tree didn’t explode as soon as they hit college.[/SIZE]
[SIZE=12pt]Final Verdict[/SIZE]
[SIZE=12pt]Texas wide receivers coach Drew Mehringer has to be giddy with what he gets to work with here, and I don’t blame him. The Longhorns are looking to make this a three or four wide receiver class and are in good shape with Brennan Eagles. By adding another national top 100 player to the fold, Texas ensures that the offensive side of this class will be elite. [/SIZE]
[SIZE=12pt]Woodard’s commitment could help land a few key Longhorn targets, including his teammates, 4-star CB D’Shawn Jamison and five star CB Anthony Cook.[/SIZE]
[SIZE=12pt]Beyond all this, Woodard’s commitment is a prize all on its own. He already has the size and athleticism that coaches covet, and he tops it off with being a dynamic play maker. I believe that he will fit into the new offense easily and that he will excel at the next level.[/SIZE]
[SIZE=12pt]After proving himself to be a talented receiver during the camp cycle, he drew interest from teams like LSU, Ohio State, Texas A&M, Alabama, and many more. However, Tom Herman obviously knew what Woodard was capable of before the camps as Woodard was one of the first to get an offer when Herman got to Texas.[/SIZE]
[SIZE=12pt]Now, Longhorn fans and coaches can rejoice as an elite talent in the country has chosen to head up to Austin and suit up in the burnt orange.[/SIZE]
[SIZE=12pt]Film Analysis[/SIZE]
[SIZE=12pt]If you’re on defense, you better not get parallel with Woodard. At 6’1â€, 193 lbs, and a 4.6-forty, Woodard is built to take the top off the defense. In fact, he does this quite well. Woodard always seems to find his way past the corner and behind the safety for the quarterback to lay up the deep ball. Also, don’t let that 4.6-forty make you think that “he may not be that fast.†Woodard has displayed some very deceptive field speed given his size, and seems to be even faster in pads.[/SIZE]
[SIZE=12pt]From what I’ve seen live, Woodard’s hands are more than reliable - they’re insane. He snatches balls out of mid-air that make you do a double take. And no matter where the ball is thrown, who is around/on top of him, and how hard a ball may be thrown, he seems to be able to locate the ball mid-air and position himself to come down with the ball every single time.[/SIZE]
[SIZE=12pt]With the ball in his hands, it’s hard to bring him down. There have been numerous occasions where Woodard just powered his way out of the arms of a sure tackle or just flat out ran through a defensive back.[/SIZE]
[SIZE=12pt]The main knock that I’ve heard some coaches have on Woodard is that it seems he maybe only has three routes in his arsenal: the go (or a variation of it), the comeback, and the screen. However, I’ve seen him run a nasty stick and square-in. However, I don’t think it matters as he is a very coachable player who has all of the tools necessary to expand his route tree if needed. I’ve yet to see a wide receiver whose route tree didn’t explode as soon as they hit college.[/SIZE]
[SIZE=12pt]Final Verdict[/SIZE]
[SIZE=12pt]Texas wide receivers coach Drew Mehringer has to be giddy with what he gets to work with here, and I don’t blame him. The Longhorns are looking to make this a three or four wide receiver class and are in good shape with Brennan Eagles. By adding another national top 100 player to the fold, Texas ensures that the offensive side of this class will be elite. [/SIZE]
[SIZE=12pt]Woodard’s commitment could help land a few key Longhorn targets, including his teammates, 4-star CB D’Shawn Jamison and five star CB Anthony Cook.[/SIZE]
[SIZE=12pt]Beyond all this, Woodard’s commitment is a prize all on its own. He already has the size and athleticism that coaches covet, and he tops it off with being a dynamic play maker. I believe that he will fit into the new offense easily and that he will excel at the next level.[/SIZE]
