This article is part of a series previewing the Razorbacks’ 2020 football roster.
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Razorback Career
After signing in the first ever early signing period, Mike Woods actually enrolled early so he could go through spring practice. It was a good move, as he established himself as part of the Razorbacks’ rotation at wide receiver.
Despite an offseason arrest and starting fall camp with some tightness in his hamstring, Woods eventually emerged as a potential starter. He served a suspension because of the arrest in the 2018 opener and played a handful of snaps against Colorado State before becoming a mainstay at the position.
Woods started seven of the final eight games of the year and finished with 18 receptions for 206 yards, including a critical 29-yard touchdown in the fourth quarter against Texas A&M. According to Pro Football Focus, he played 338 total offensive snaps, which was the fourth most among Arkansas’ receivers.
With the three who got more snaps either gone or injured, Woods was the veteran of a young receiver corps last season. Stud freshmen Treylon Burks and Trey Knox got most of the attention, but the sophomore tied for the team lead with 33 catches and his 423 receiving yards ranked second. He also had a team-high four touchdown receptions while playing 698 offensive snaps, the most by a non-lineman.
Although he’s had good production the last two years, Pro Football Focus hasn’t been super high on Woods. The analytics site credited him with three drops as a freshman and seven as a sophomore, while giving him a 60.8 and 58.6 grade, respectively.
2020 Expectations
Once again, Woods is the most experienced guy in the wide receiver room despite Burks and Knox getting most of the attention.
Unlike most of the team, he - and his fellow receivers - won’t have to worry about adjusting to a new position coach because Justin Stepp was the lone holdover from the previous staff. The good news is that Woods has also caught the attention of the new staff, with head coach Sam Pittman saying he “works his tail off” back in March.
Now a junior, it sounds like he is still in the mix to be a starter in 2020 and he has the potential to be a very good third option alongside the younger big-time playmakers, especially if he cuts down on the drops.
If he manages to compile 371 receiving yards this season - which would actually be a step back from last year - Woods would become just the 31st player in UA history with 1,000 career receiving yards.
Recruiting Flashback
When Chad Morris was hired as Arkansas next football coach in December of 2017, a lot of fans immediately shifted their focus to his recruiting class at SMU to see if there were any players worthy of following him to Fayetteville.
A 5.6 three-star wide receiver from Magnolia, Texas, Woods fit the bill. When he committed to the Mustangs, he did so over numerous Power Five offers, including Iowa State, Minnesota, Northwestern, Texas Tech, Vanderbilt, Virginia and Washington State.
Sure enough, the coaching staff contacted him soon after getting to Arkansas and got the ball rolling on what would prove to be their first commitment, as Woods flipped to the Razorbacks just four days after Morris was announced as the coach.
