2019 Florida athlete nets Vols offer, enjoys first trip on Rocky Top
Raymond Woodie III was among a contingent of Florida all-stars who visited Tennessee on Tuesday, and the two-way 2019 Wiregrass Ranch (Fla.) athlete picked up an offer from the Vols before he left town.
“It was a great experience,” said Woodie, who visited Rocky Top for the first time.
“Everything went great. The coaches were cool. The facilities were great.”
Woodie camped at Florida and Alabama over the weekend before visiting Vanderbilt and Tennessee the last two days. He had a chance to tour Neyland Stadium, the locker and weight room, as well as the Peyton Manning Room. At one point, offensive coordinator Larry Scott, a noted ace recruiter in Florida, pulled Woodie to the side and delivered some good news.
The Vols joined schools like UF, Southern Cal, Penn State, Michigan State, North Carolina and others to offer the 2019 prospect, who most project as a free safety or corner in college but Woodie plays defense, quarterback and wideout for Wiregrass Ranch.
“The (offer) definitely meant something,” Woodie said.
“Tennessee will definitely be among my top schools. I haven’t really identified a leader or anything. Everybody is kind of even right now. I’m still sorting everything out, getting to know all the coaches and whatnot. How comfortable I feel with the school and everything, but I liked Tennessee.”
Woodie plays at the same school as 2018 cornerback Jordan Miner, one of Tennessee’s top targets at the position. The two are “best friends” and could play together at the next level. Both visited Tennessee together Tuesday, and Woodie had a chance to talk with new defensive backs coach Charlton Warren, who watched Woodie practice during the spring evaluation period.
“It was good talking (with Warren),” Woodie said. “He came to watch me practice, but I didn’t really get to talk to him then. Today, we sat down and talked for a while. He definitely knows what he’s talking about and knows how to get the most (out of his players) and prepare DB’s to be successful.”
Woodie is taking his recruitment slowly, and he's leaning on his father — Oregon linebackers coach Raymond Woodie, a longtime assistant with Willie Taggert at both Western Kentucky and USF — for sage advice as he weighs his options.
"He's really helped walk me through the process," Woodie III said.
“What to do. What not to do. It’s been good (advice).”
While many have already pegged Woodie to Oregon, the rising junior said, “I wouldn’t say that’s a done deal. I want to make my own decision and do what’s best (for me).”