Colts 2022 Draft Interviews: Michael Woods II, WR, Arkansas/Oklahoma
Michael Woods II is a former three star recruit out of Magnolia High School in Magnolia, Texas. Despite garnering interest from schools closer to home, he decided to attend Arkansas University.
I asked him about how he ultimately ended up at Arkansas:
So, I knew that I was signing in December and I was actually committed to Coach (Chad) Morris and his staff at SMU. We knew that he was going to get a bigger job and he was the front-runner for the Texas A&M job at the time.
Out of nowhere, Jimbo Fisher came and scooped up that job. So, we had no clue where he was going to go. Then one night, I was eating crab legs, and a reporter that I knew texted me what I was going to do now that Coach Morris had made his decision.
I had to go look online and I saw that Coach Morris had been hired at Arkansas. As I was looking at that, Coach (Justin) Stepp called me and asked if I was still coming with them. This was all around December 6th when this happened.
I went on my official visit on the 15th and I signed on the 20th, so it all happened pretty quick.
I, personally, haven't heard of many instances where a player committed to a staff rather than committed to a school.
I asked Woods II about that and how he was able to form such a close bond with that coaching staff:
Coach Stepp played a really big part of it and I'm still very close with him today. Coach Stepp did a lot, and he texted me every day. I went up to SMU literally every weekend during the season, I went to so many football games and I knew half of the team up there.
I got close with that staff and Coach Stepp really liked me. Once they offered me that, I couldn't pass up a chance to play in the SEC.
Woods II hit the ground running with Arkansas and churned out three really solid years with the Razorbacks. He finished his three year run with 83 receptions for 1,248 yards and 10 touchdowns.
After his junior season, Woods II opted to transfer to Oklahoma to finish off his collegiate career. I asked him about that process and why he chose to transfer away from Arkansas:
That was one of the toughest decisions of my life. I had just graduated from Arkansas and I loved the place where the team was. Fayetteville is a great place and I love the university. It did a lot for me, but I felt like I could get more production at another school.
I was just looking at the logistics of things. Oklahoma had a high-powered offense that always had great quarterbacks-- their past three quarterbacks all went high in the draft. Playing for Coach (Lincoln) Riley, and the notoriety it brings, would help me.
Also, going into this season, we were ranked number two in the nation. It was a legit chance to play for a National Championship. Just weighing my options took a while to come to a decision, but it just made sense when I thought it over.
(Oklahoma) threw the ball 40 times a game when Arkansas only threw it around 20. It all just made sense to me.
Woods II, obviously, saw a lot of disdain from the Arkansas fanbase for this decision. He was attacked quite a bit on social media for leaving a school where he was beloved as the number one wideout.
I asked him how he dealt with all of that backlash for making a decision that he felt was best for his playing career:
I was expecting it because I was a high-profile player with the school. I was kind of like a fan-favorite and I couldn't go anywhere around Fayetteville without being recognized. I also had a YouTube channel, so many fans knew who I was and really liked me.
So, I kind of knew that it was going to be rough. I just tried to stay off of social media. I had a lot of attention on me at the time so I stayed in the house a little bit more. It's just part of the game, man. I know that Arkansas fans are crazy about their football team, because they don't have a pro team to root for down there.
I definitely had to use the block button a little bit (laughs).
Woods II went on to catch 35 passes for 400 yards and two touchdowns in his final season with the Sooners.
SEC Tested
The second best realm of football for receiver and cornerback play, aside from the NFL, is the SEC. We see multiple first round players come out of that conference every year at both cornerback and wide receiver.
So, Woods II essentially faced a gauntlet of NFL cornerbacks during his first few years of college football. I asked him how he approached those match-ups and if there was an adjustment period for him early on:
Obviously you start off slow as freshman wherever you play. You gotta get your feet wet, because the college game is just so much faster than high school. As the year went on, I feel like actually playing in those games really helped me a lot.
It just got easier every year. I started to know what to expect and I could see what I had to do before it happened in each game. You can't get that level of competition anywhere else and I feel like playing against that talent really helped my game grow.
When it came to those big match-ups... I'm a guy that has never gotten nervous before a football game. Going against those top guys, my mindset was always that they have to show me why your name is so big.
You have respect for these guys, but as you get older, you stop fearing these guys. They might be Greedy Williams, but I'm Mike Woods. My respect for them was still there, but I'm going to attack them and they have to show what they are about too.
Chess Match at the Line
The most fascinating aspect of wide receiver play is how they go about beating press coverage off of the line of scrimmage. A receiver can be elite in every other area of their game but if they struggle off of the line, they will never find success at the NFL level.
I asked Woods II how he went about improving in this area in his career:
As the years go on it gets a lot easier, but at first, it was a real challenge. You don't see anywhere near that amount of press in high school. Going against that much press every year made it easier and easier for me.
I feel like my releases are the best part of my game because I played in the SEC for three years. Every single game you are being pressed for a majority of snaps, so you have no choice but to get better.
If you are going to produce at all in the SEC, you have to be able to beat press.
Versatility as a Receiver
Woods II has played at a few different spots in his college career. He split time between the slot and out wide at Arkansas and finished his career at Oklahoma being mostly used on the outside.
I asked Woods II if he would feel comfortable filling any wide receiver role for a NFL team:
Yeah, I definitely feel comfortable everywhere. Guys really like me on the outside because of my length, but I feel like I'm quick enough (and savvy enough) to play any of those positions.
I really enjoy playing all over the field. I'm not one of those guys that likes to stay in one spot, so I'm definitely open to playing all over the field.
NFL Draft Outlook
I finished off the interview with the same way I finish all of them. I asked Woods II how he would sell himself to a team this offseason. I asked him what my team would be getting, on and off the field, if they draft him:
I'm just going to come in, put my head down, and work. I'm going to work hard every day and work on my craft. The biggest things with me are that I'm coachable, I'm tough, and I'm resilient.
You are going to face adversity, especially as a rookie in Training Camp, but I'm resilient enough to bounce back through that stuff. You can ask anyone that has ever been around me, I'm a hard worker that is going to help your football team.
Woods II was a player that wasn't on my radar coming into this draft season. While he never put up huge numbers in college, he did showcase his talent on numerous occasions.
I'm super intrigued by his skill set and ability in this draft class. If he ends up in the right situation, he could be a productive wide receiver early in the NFL.
Follow Zach on Twitter @ZachHicks2.
