Houston Lamar has long been considered a D-I factory, although the defense has largely paved the way for the title. Headlined by five-star cornerback Anthony Cook, the 2018 class is well on its way to being among the most impressive crops of Division I talent to emerge from the Houston area powerhouse. This time around, Lamar’s explosive offense holds its own weight and the presence of wide receiver Al’vonte Woodard supports such claims.
A four-star prospect ranked within the top 75 nationally, Woodard already looks the part of a college athlete, both physical and in regards to his dominant skill set.
At 6’1, 193 pounds, Woodard has an impressive frame that will continue to fill out as he progresses further along into his physical maturation. When that time comes, if Woodard can continue to improve upon his 4.52 40-yard dash speed, which seems faster when he’s in pads, Woodard has the potential to become a major threat at the next level, as he already is for Lamar.
As a junior, Woodard hauled in 42 receptions for 909 yards and 15 touchdowns. More notably, he proved to be a big-play waiting to happen en route to 21.6 yards per catch.
Woodard’s contributions came courtesy of a skill set already considerably polished in essential areas.
For starters, Woodard’s a legitimate deep threat and when downfield, he’s proven his ability to not only adjust to the ball in the air, but utilize his strength to outmuscle defensive backs and make difficult catches in traffic. Making plays in traffic isn’t necessary too often for Woodard, though. Along with his 4.5 40-yard dash speed, Woodard has exceptionally fast footwork and is a very precise route runner. The latter becomes apparent even from the line of scrimmage when Woodard’s footwork often gives him a step on a defender before coming out of his break with a crisp cut or simply exploding downfield.
As far as what this looks like at the next level, with continued progression, Woodard certainly looks the part of a future all-conference receiver. The bigger question going forward is which conference will Woodard ultimately be competing for all-conference honors in?
In late May, Woodard release a top five consisting of Texas, LSU, Ole Miss, Ohio State and Texas A&M. If the signs pointing towards Austin prove true, Woodard is expected to become a Longhorn once his high school career concludes, which is likely capped with a 1,000-yard effort in 2017.
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