Woody
Marks.
Woody
Marks.
USC· 5'10"· 207 lb· 4.52s 40
"Marks is a stocky, powerful back with an impressive ability to absorb contact and maintain balance, projecting as a reliable short-yardage and goal-line contributor if his top-end speed proves sufficient."Pre-draft read
Marks is a stocky, patient runner who plays through contact rather than around it. He sets up blocks with tempo, keeps his pads down through the hole, and finishes falling forward; the 4.24 short shuttle is the number that matters on his tape, showing up as the ability to redirect in a phone booth without losing speed.
The separator is the receiving résumé. Two hundred and sixty-one career catches is a tight end workload, and he ran real routes out of the backfield and the slot rather than just check-downs. He is not a home-run hitter and he does not create yardage that is not blocked, but he is a genuine three-down back who never has to leave the field on third down.
Scheme-diverse runner who can operate in gap, inside zone, and outside zone schemes thanks to his agility, vision, and contact balance.
Year 1 as a change-of-pace back with immediate impact in short-yardage and passing downs, with the ceiling to develop into a committee back.
Pure power run schemes that consistently demand him to run through arm tackles without space to build momentum.
Marks' versatility across different run schemes and his proven ability as a receiver make him an attractive option for teams prioritizing a multi-faceted backfield weapon.
Woody Marks 2024 USC Football Highlights
Game film cut-up of Woody Marks's USC tape.
NFL DRAFT HIGHLIGHTS: RB Woody Marks | USC Football
Game film cut-up of Woody Marks's USC tape.
Jo'Quavious "Woody" Marks Rookie Highlights | 2025 - 2026 NFL Season - Texans
Game film cut-up of Woody Marks's USC tape.
Marks put together one of the strangest and most useful résumés in the class: five seasons, 608 carries and 261 receptions, four years at Mississippi State catching passes at a slot-receiver rate before a transfer to USC in 2024 finally gave him a real rushing role. That last year he went for 1,133 yards on 198 carries with nine scores and still added 47 catches, proving he could be a lead back and not just a passing-down piece.
Physically he is average across the board: 5-10, 207 pounds, a 4.52 forty, 35-inch vertical. The 4.24 shuttle is the athletic trait that translates, and it is the one that matters for a back whose game is footwork in traffic. He runs with more strength than his measurements suggest, but there is no long speed, and defenses at the next level will catch him from behind on runs that should score.
The projection is a Day 3 back who wins a rotational job as a rookie because of third-down value and takes early-down carries when the starter needs a breather. The ceiling is a low-end 1A in a committee with 1,000 scrimmage yards. The floor is a passing-down specialist. Rare production floor, ordinary athletic ceiling.
- 01
Receiving Production
He recorded 261 career receptions on various route concepts.
- 02
Lateral Quickness
His 4.24 short shuttle time translates to functional lateral agility in tight spaces.
- 03
Finishes Runs
He consistently runs behind his pads and falls forward for additional yardage.
- 04
Patient Vision
His patient, tempo-based vision allows zone blocks to develop before committing to a lane.
- 05
Durable Career
He maintained durable availability for five years, accumulating 869 total college touches.
- 01
Lacks Breakaway Speed
He gets caught from behind on long runs that should be touchdowns.
- 02
Late Workload Proof
He only proved his ability to handle an every-down rushing load in his fifth season.
- 03
Needs Good Blocking
He creates little yardage when the offensive blocking breaks down.
- 04
Average Size
His average size and length are a concern for blitz pickup against NFL linebackers.
— — — positional median (p50)
- 40 yd
- 4.52sp50
- Vertical
- 35inp50
- Broad jump
- 119inp50
- Three-cone
- —s
- Shuttle
- 4.24sp50
- Bench
- 18repp50
| Yr | Team | G | Att | Yds | TD | Rec | RecYds |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | Mississippi State | 11 | 70 | 312 | 3 | 60 | 268 |
| 2021 | Mississippi State | 13 | 106 | 416 | 6 | 83 | 502 |
| 2022 | Mississippi State | 12 | 113 | 582 | 9 | 48 | 288 |
| 2023 | Mississippi State | 9 | 121 | 573 | 4 | 23 | 167 |
| 2024 | USC | 12 | 198 | 1133 | 9 | 47 | 321 |
| Career | — | 57 | 608 | 3016 | 31 | 261 | 1546 |
A dash means the figure is not published by a source we trust — never a zero we invented.
Reliable rotational back who earns his snaps on third down and in two-minute work.
Undersized three-down back whose receiving volume made him a featured offensive weapon.
Depth back who dresses for special teams and only touches the ball when injuries hit.
Everything above is the pre-draft evaluation. This section is what actually happened — updated year over year.
Houston gave him a bigger job than the round suggested and he mostly justified it. Marks played 16 games with eight starts as a rookie, carried 196 times for 703 yards and two touchdowns, and added 24 catches for 208 yards and three scores, then handled 33 carries for 129 yards and a touchdown across two playoff games.
The 3.6 yards per carry is the honest part of the story: he was efficient in the passing game and ordinary as a runner, which is exactly what a profile with no long speed and no self-created yardage predicts once the blocking is average. The volume is a genuine surprise for pick 116 and it says the third-down value bought him the down-to-down snaps. He looks like a long-term committee back, not a lead runner, and that is still a very good fourth-round outcome.