Developing Cowboy Back Jelani Woods Makes Watch List for Mackey Award

Oklahoma State's former quarterback recruit now into his second full season as starting Cowboy Back, Jelani Woods is recognized by the folks with the top tight end award in college football.

STILLWATER -- Jelani Woods, who first came to Oklahoma State as state championship winning quarterback out of Cedar Grove High School in Georgia, is now on the preseason watch list for the John Mackey Award. John Mackey was a huge tight end for the Baltimore Colts of the NFL that really established the position in football. Mackey had played running back, tight end, and wide receiver in college at Syracuse, but in the NFL settled in as a tight end and earned his way into the Pro Football Hall of Fame. 

Woods has some similarities to Mackey in that he was a quarterback for the Cowboys before settling in at tight end or cowboy back. Like Mackey, Woods is huge at 6-7 and 274 pounds. 

Big-time recognition for a big-time player! Congrats to @jelani_thegreat on being named to the @JohnMackeyAward watch list!

📰: https://t.co/yYdBUKgI8n#okstate #GoPokes pic.twitter.com/Bt3JffJh71

— OSU Cowboy Football (@CowboyFB) July 17, 2020

Woods, who made the switch back to the position that he played before moving to quarterback in high school, has been honorable mention All-Big 12 the past two seasons getting votes from the leagues coaches. In 2018, he caught seven passes for 120-yards and two touchdowns including an early momentum score in the homecoming win over No. 6 Texas. Last season he caught 16 passes for 112-yards and a touchdown at West Virginia. His blocking has improved dramatically over the two seasons he has played at the cowboy back, which often lines up as a fullback or wing type position.

When Woods first moved back to the position he explained that he felt he could really get open at the position because of the offense and how he can move around in it. He told me it wouldn't be hard to hide.

"Actually it is not," answered Woods back before the opener with Oregon State last season. "We're going back to that 2015 offense where we are moving around all the time and double tight and whole bunch of formations and such. It really is where I can hide. You never know, each play is different."

Oklahoma State’s Jelani Woods is one of 36 players on the 2020 John Mackey Award Preseason Watch List, announced Friday by The Friends of John Mackey. The other Big 12 players on the list are Charlie Kolar of Iowa State and Norman North High School in Oklahoma, Austin Strogner of Oklahoma, and Pro Wells of TCU.

The John Mackey Award winner will be announced and presented in December. It is given to the collegiate tight end who best exemplifies the play, sportsmanship, academics and community values of NFL Hall of Fame tight end John Mackey. The recipient is determined by confidential balloting of the John Mackey Selection Committee.