Utah football joins mix for 3-star WR recruit

Eli Woodard is a three-star recruit in the class of 2027

Utah Utes head coach Kyle Whittingham reacts during the second half against the Houston Cougars at TDECU Stadium. | Troy Taormina-Imagn Images

After landing a stud quarterback recruit from the class of 2027, Utah's coaching staff has spent a chunk of its time on the recruiting trails this spring in search of young talent to surround their future signal caller with.

Eli Woodard has joined the list of prospects who've received a scholarship offer from the Utes during the current contact period.

After a great conversation with @micahsimon_. I am grateful to receive an offer from The University Of Utah!! 🔴⚪️ #AG2G #goutes@chaparralpumafb @Coach_Ramer @CoachDeeWR @GregBiggins @adamgorney @BlairAngulo @PGregorian @247Sports @Rivals @On3Recruits pic.twitter.com/UAsBiwP2Wn

— Eli Woodard (@EliWoodard_) May 8, 2025

Who is Eli Woodard?

Woodard is listed as a 6-foot-tall, 175-pound wide receiver who plays at Chaparral High School (California). He's recently been ranked as a three-star recruit by 247Sports, checking in as the No. 109-ranked sophomore in the state of California.

Headlined by a trio of three-star recruits, Chaparral boasts quite a collection of sophomore receivers. Still, Woodard managed to stick out from the pack by earning second-team All Big West honors this past season.

Woodard holds a handful of scholarship offers from FBS schools, including BYU, Colorado State, San Diego State and UConn.

Who else is in Utah's 2027 recruiting class?

The Utes' lone 2027 commit is Arbor View High (Nevada) product Thaddeus Thatcher, a four-star quarterback and younger brother of Utah freshman linebacker Christian Thatcher.

Thaddeus is ranked by 247Sports as the No. 4 quarterback recruit from Nevada. He threw for 3,271 yards and 34 touchdowns while completing 204 of 322 pass attempts (63.4%) last season, leading Arbor View High to the Class 5A Division I championship game.

Utah is also in pursuit of Thaddeus' teammate Zac Fares, a 6-foot-5 tight end who's rated as a four-star recruit and the No. 11 player at his position in the class of 2027.