Scrolling Twitter on his way to practice at St. John Bosco High School (Bellflower, California) on Monday, his eyes lit up when he saw one particular tweet.
Peyton Woodyard had just found out he’d made MaxPreps’ Preseason Sophomore All-America team.
All glory to God! https://t.co/sIzSBFkoV6
— Peyton PeyPey Woodyard (@peypey_wood) July 26, 2021
“It felt awesome. It just pushes you to work harder,” Woodyard told Eleven Warriors Tuesday upon receiving the honor. “I was excited.”
The national attention is hardly new for the 6-foot-2, 188-pound defensive back. Woodyard has received offers from the likes of Alabama, Georgia, Notre Dame, USC and Ohio State, all of whom he visited in June. During his visit with the Buckeyes on June 17, Woodyard received an offer along with three of his high school teammates, all of which also play defensive back.
Of course, recruiting St. John Bosco is nothing new for the Buckeyes. Current OSU safety Kourt Williams II played high school ball for the Braves, ditto for former Buckeye Wyatt Davis. Ohio State is also heavily recruiting current St. John Bosco offensive lineman Earnest Greene.
“The treatment they have for Bosco players is just different,” Woodyard said. “Ohio State is one of those schools where they’re a top program every year. They’re definitely a school you want to look at for your future.”
While he's only entering his sophomore year of high school, Woodyard doesn't profile as a typical sophomore. He boasts the size, speed, athleticism and football acumen to play anywhere in the the secondary at the collegiate level. While there are not yet composite rankings for the class of 2024, Woodyard will likely be near the top of the list when they're released.
“Coach (Matt) Barnes said they could use me at corner, nickel or safety,” Woodyard said. “They could use me anywhere. But coach (Kerry) Coombs said he wants me to play corner. I’m comfortable wherever they’d put me.”
Woodyard expects OSU to be near the top of his list throughout his recruiting process, but is unsure when he’ll visit Columbus again. He said he’ll try to attend a game this fall, but it may not be until after his sophomore year before he makes it back to campus.
He’s also undecided how long he’d like to play out his recruitment, but said he is determined to play somewhere with a “family atmosphere” and at an institution that will help take his talent to the next level.
“A lot of people have been committing after their sophomore year, but I’m not really sure yet,” Woodyard said.
Miller cuts list to four
One of Ohio State’s top defensive line targets in the class of 2022 has narrowed his school list down to four.
Four-star Christen Miller, the 119th-best player nationally and the 20th-best defensive lineman according to 247Sports' composite rankings, announced a final four of Georgia, USC, Ohio State and Oregon.
#WinitforWright pic.twitter.com/Pf6lZvlszT
— Christen Miller (@Trenchking2) July 27, 2021
Miller also put out a video breaking down each of the four schools. He attributed his interest in Ohio State specifically to defensive line coach Larry Johnson, who Miller called “The GOAT.”
My Top Schools What yall Think #1QBInTheNation #WinitforWright pic.twitter.com/bhLFV8Xlym
— Christen Miller (@Trenchking2) July 27, 2021
Miller took an unofficial visit to Columbus on June 2 and completed a private workout with Johnson. The 6-foot-4, 285-pound Miller had an official visit scheduled for late June, but it never ended up happening. That doesn’t mean he couldn’t schedule another official visit sometime in the fall.
It should be noted that Miller is an aspiring actor as well as a football player. When discussing USC in the video, he said “LA has a lot of opportunities to be the best player I can be on and off the field, and I want to go somewhere where I can maximize my self income and self value.”
“I’m a superstar. Cameras supposed to be around me, that’s how it’s supposed to be,” Miller said while laughing in June. “I love it better when people watching me.”
Miller, a Ellenwood, Georgia resident, has been given three crystal ball predictions by 247Sports: two projecting him to USC and one to Georgia.
Markway picks Florida
One of the top 2023 tight ends is off the board.
Mac Markway picked Florida from a top seven that also included Ohio State, Missouri, Alabama, Iowa, LSU and Notre Dame.
— Mac Markway (@mac_markway) July 27, 2021
Markway is ranked the 93rd-best player in the 2023 class and the fourth-best tight end. Ohio State still has plenty of available options at the position, as it has also offered eight other tight ends in the junior class.
