2/10/2017 football Edit

Michael Woods Commits Early to SMU

Nikki Chavanelle • TheHillTopics

Publisher

Nikki is the SMU Rivals.com site publisher. She's covered SMU Football and Basketball for Rivals for four years.

It’s just February but SMU’s already locking down commitments from recruits in the 2018 class. One of SMU’s top priorities for the class was to secure a new member of the so-called receiver “militia,” and they did just that on Monday with the verbal commitment of 2018 wide receiver Michael Woods.

These days a verbal commitment doesn’t always mean a recruit will make it through to signing day but Woods picked SMU with one goal in mind: to be the next Courtland Sutton.

“They told me where I was going to play, how I was going to play and just how they were going to get me the ball,” Woods said. “They basically told me I’d come in right where Courtland Sutton plays. They play the same type of offense that Magnolia plays so I’ll be ready.”

Woods got to meet Sutton on his Junior Day visit and of course, the junior receiver only had good things to say about the school and the program.

“I’m pumped and I’m so happy to be a part of something great,” Woods said. “I think SMU is on the come up. My family loved SMU on the visit and my dad became an instant fan.”

SMU’s coaching staff certainly has a unique strategy when it comes to recruiting but at the root of it all, they try to focus on the players and according to Woods, that’s what set them apart from the pack.

“Coach Stepp and I have had the best relationship of any of the coaches at any school,” Woods said. “We talk all the time—we call or we facetime almost every day. Coach Morris has a different approach with recruits than other coaches. A lot of coaches just talk about football but coach Morris talks to you about life so that really factored in to us building a relationship.”

With eight other offers on his list and plenty more to come—probably—Woods will inevitably have hard choices to make but for now, he’s just happy to have settled down.

“I just wanted to commit early because it’s really stressful,” Woods said. “It’s still stressful even though I’ve committed. Other offers can come a long but as of now I’m committed to SMU and I’m very excited about that.”