Clemson Football: Six Mystery Freshmen

Wade Woodaz

The final reason why a player might not redshirt? Some players are just better than expected for true freshmen. Several freshmen enroll early and the staff can see them up close in spring ball. Marcus Tate is a great example: he shined in the 2021 spring game and he was on everyone’s radar before fall camp began.

Other players arrive in the summer and the coaches don’t see them in practice until fall camp begins. Wade Woodaz falls into this category.

Woodaz was a bit of a mystery when Clemson began courting him last year. He was listed in the 247 Composite as a 3-star safety prospect from Jesuit High School in Tampa, Florida. 247 noted him at 6’-3” and 205 pounds.

Soon the chatter was that the defensive staff saw Woodaz as a guy who could play linebacker, and possibly fit into the kind of hybrid role that Isaiah Simmons filled at Clemson. This sounded plausible but playing linebacker at 205 lbs would be tough. Woodaz was able to get to 217 by the big weigh-in, but that is still a bit light for a linebacker. The signals we were getting suggested Woodaz was a prime candidate for a redshirt and Power Hour for the coming year.

As fall camp unfolded, our assumptions began to ravel apart. Defensive coordinator Wes Goodwin said Woodaz had been a pleasant surprise this fall. He had been an efficient player on special teams, and as we have already noted, special teams can find a guy a role.

Goodwin made it clear that Woodaz wasn’t just a special teams guy; he was going to find time playing at the SAM position behind Barrett Carter. Weight aside, it looks like Woodaz has earned the confidence of the defensive staff.