If we were going after that type of back, they should have gone up for Skattebo. Much better runner and receiver
Add someone where… In UDFA?(I actually do want to see British Brooks get PT) Most contenders have a 2 headed monster and a third solid option. I can’t say we’ve had an elite rotation since Foster & Tate.
If we were going up, I wish it'd been for Mbow. I don't get going up for a RB personally and not that RB too. Hope I'm wrong, but both of the last two Trojans are ehh picks. Started strong but starting to get weird.
I'm fine with that. Just give the team 3 good years and leave in free agency if you overperform. It's the trade Nick made to cherry pick this guy.
Yes Pierce had last year to prove himself. Team showed in the playoffs they do not trust him with more than a special teams role
If you want a guy, you get the guy. You can't just expect them to go undrafted. All it takes is one other team that wants the same guy.
And we used one on this Woody Marks.? I hope I'm being a know-it-all, armchair GM, and will come to like him. but I question the reasoning behind this pick. He doesn't fumble so that is a major plus
RBs are dime a dozen…definitely not something you trade up for. BACKGROUND: Jo'Quavious "Woody" Marks grew up in Atlanta with his mother (Tameka), whom Woody calls his "biggest motivation" (Tameka attended all but one of Woody's games in college). Marks has a close relationship with his older brother (Dontavious). His nickname, "Woody," was given to him by his grandmother because he loved the movie "Toy Story" as a kid and wore a Woody costume for seven straight Halloweens. Marks played baseball and basketball through middle school and also ran track, but he grew up in a football family and started playing pee wee at age 8. He played every position throughout youth football, from quarterback to multiple roles on defense, before running back emerged as his best spot. Marks enrolled at Carver High (south of downtown Atlanta) and forced his way to the top of the running back depth chart as a freshman. He also saw time at cornerback. After rushing for 1,245 yards in his first season, Marks posted a personal-best 2,127 rushing yards on 208 carries and 19 touchdowns as a sophomore, rushing for 100 yards or more in all 13 games. As a junior, he rushed for 1,500 yards on 140 carries and nine touchdowns. As a senior, Marks was named the region's Offensive Player of the Year with 1,519 rushing yards on 162 carries and 23 touchdowns, despite missing two games. He finished his prep career with 6,391 rushing yards, 7,220 all-purpose yards, 60 touchdowns and a 10.4 yards-per-carry average. Marks also lettered in track and had personal bests of 11.16 seconds in the 100 meters, 22.16 in the 200, 50.84 in the 400 and 18 feet, 4 inches in the long jump. A four-star recruit, Marks was the 16th-ranked running back in the 2020 recruiting class and the No. 19 recruit in Georgia (third-ranked running back in the state behind Tank Bigsby and Jahmyr Gibbs). He started receiving scholarship offers as early as his freshman year, including one from Nick Saban and Alabama. Marks later picked up offers from Florida State, Miami, Michigan, Ohio State, Tennessee and Texas. He could have gone almost anywhere in the SEC, except nearby Georgia, his preferred destination — Kirby Smart and the Bulldogs never offered Marks because of his size. Ultimately, Marks committed to Mississippi State over Florida, Louisville and Wisconsin and enrolled early in January 2020. He and Emmanuel Forbes were the highest-ranked recruits in the Bulldogs' 2020 class, and Marks cited his relationship with head coach Joe Moorehead and his offense as key factors in the decision. However, Mississippi State fired Moorehead two weeks after Marks signed and replaced him with Mike Leach. After four seasons at Mississippi State, Marks expected to enter the 2024 NFL Draft, but a lingering hamstring injury pushed him to play one more year of college ball. Zach Arnett, who took over as Bulldogs head coach following Leach's death, was fired following the 2023 season and Marks subsequently entered the transfer portal. He visited Louisville, Washington and USC before committing to the Trojans for the 2024 season. He earned his degree in kinesiology from Mississippi State (Dec. 2023) and is pursuing a graduate certificate in gerontology. He opted out of USC's 2024 bowl game and accepted his invitation to the Senior Bowl. STRENGTHS: ● Compact build and looks like an action figure with sculpted muscle definition ● Runs low, hard and balanced to sustain momentum through arm-tackle attempts ● Fluid lower body and jump-cutting skills to snatch ankles ● Physical finisher and more likely to throw his body into a defender than escape out of bounds ● Natural route runner out of backfield with accepting hands (only one drop on 54 targets in 2024) ● Combined 261 catches over past five seasons (eighth most among FBS players over that span and 88 more than any other running back) ● Often holds ball in wrong hand but quickly covers it up at contact (fumbled once in 2024, five times in his career) ● Not a vocal leader but shows up every day with same "I'll outwork everyone and never cut corners" mindset, according to NFL scouts ● Forced fumble vs. Michigan in 2024, ripping the ball out of Kenneth Grant's hands on a fumble return ● Played through bumps and bruises (and the flu vs. Nebraska in 2024) ● Operated in mostly zone-based offense at Mississippi State and gap-based run scheme at USC WEAKNESSES: ● More quick than fast and can be caught by chasing pursuit ● Gets bounce happy at times, instead of working inside out with his reads ● Much more confident with reads in space than between the tackles, which leads to some wasted steps ● Not a big-play creator in passing game — averaged fewer than 6.0 yards per catch in college (only four of 261 career catches resulted in 20 yards or more) ● Workhorse mentality but tread is worn after 869 offensive touches in college ● Inconsistent batting average as chipper and pass blocker (holding flag on his 2024 Penn State tape) ● Missed three games of final season at Mississippi State because of hamstring injury (Nov. 2023) ● Will turn 25 as a rookie SUMMARY: A one-year starter at USC, Marks was the lead running back in head coach Lincoln Riley's RPO, spread (multiple-run) scheme and motioned across the formation (jets, orbits, etc.). After four seasons as a starter at Mississippi State, he became an invaluable part of the Trojans' offense in 2024 and was USC's first 1,000-yard rusher since 2017 (Ronald Jones). When he stays patient to set up blocks, Marks showcases balanced footwork and determination to stack cuts and pick his way through the defense. He has natural hands out of the backfield (set the Mississippi State record for career catches and caught a pass in 56 straight games). Overall, Marks has only average explosiveness and speed, but his low-to-the-ground run style and sharp run angles make him tough to get on the ground. His pass-catching skills and impact on third downs will ensure him a role in an NFL backfield.
