Woodaz Has Top Two?

Since his arrival Brent Venables and his staff have made the state of Florida a priority and have had success in doing so thanks to his time at Clemson and the staff's numerous ties to the Sunshine State. One player that has a connection to Oklahoma's head man both through those Florida connections as well as his time at Clemson is Tampa Jesuit linebacker offer Drew Woodaz.

The talented defender is the younger brother of Tigers 2022 signee Wade Woodaz and while in Norman actually connected with one of his older brother's former classmates.

"I got to talk to Jaren Kanak a little, we talked about my brother and how they were going to be teammates," Woodaz said. "(This trip) I felt like I had more personal time, really got to bond and build (with the coaches) – we already had a relationship, I could talk to them about anything, talk to them about football and life in general."

With all of the overlapping themes that connect Woodaz and Clemson he couldn't help but chuckle that his would-be position coach in Norman had shared some time together in South Carolina and the nation's No. 50 outside linebacker didn't even know about it.

"I honestly didn’t even know (defensive coordinator Ted Roof) worked at Clemson, so then it really was everyone here knows my brother," he said.

While talking with the defensive coordinator, as well as the rest of the staff, the 6-foot-3, 205-pound Woodaz, not surprisingly, was told that he could be a fit for the Sooners 'Cheetah' position.

As mentioned, there is a lot of connection between the Woodaz and the Sooners staff. Not surprisingly that has built considerable trust and even some familiarity due to the Tigers and Oklahoma having some very similar structure pieces.

"They trusted my brother to go play for Dabo (Swinney), and coach V worked for him for 12 years or however long it was, there was trust built up – my parents trust him and you can see how good of a job he does," Woodaz said.

"(And at Oklahoma) the SOUL mission, (it's called) the Paw Journey for Clemson, you’re going to get developed off the field but on the field. You know, we've all seen the guys get out of the league and they are just left out to dry. It’s reliable knowing you have something to help with."

Though Oklahoma's staff has a lot of connection for Woodaz, he lacks the same familiarity with much of the roster but one future Sooners he is well acquainted with - 2023 signee Lewis Carter. The two came up playing in the same little league and Woodaz says they ran into each other frequently around the area their rival schools are within.

"As we saw each other out and about, we’re going to see each other because we're so close, we'd always talk and stuff," he said of he and Carter. "The rivalry kind of takes place during the game, we’ll talk a little smack before and after but only some kids really hate each other but most kids are they really cool."

For now though Woodaz is still just enjoying the recruiting process but has an idea of what his future may hold and it seems that two schools are starting to stand out for him.

"I’m definitely going to take some officials this summer, I have one scheduled for Clemson on June 2 and I’m definitely getting back up to Oklahoma," he said. "The only two I really have set are Clemson and Oklahoma, I want to get up to Vandy and one other school.

"I want to be committed before my senior year, I’m aiming for July 4, that’s my timeline."