Nate Allen
FAYETTEVILLE - Mike Woods, Arkansas’ second leading receiver and 3-year senior letterman, announced Tuesday he has submitted his name in the NCAA transfer portal as an immediately eligible graduate transfer.
On Twitter Tuesday Woods posted: Tuesday “Thank you to the University of Arkansas, my coaches, all of my teammates, and most certainly the state of Arkansas and the Razorback fans,” Woods wrote. “I love you all and I am very thankful for the love I have been shown over the past 3 years. You guys mean so much to me. “With that being said, I am entering the transfer portal as a graduate transfer.”
A December, 2017 signee from Magnolia Texas in former Arkansas Coach Chad Morris’ first recruiting class, Woods as a 2018 freshman caught 18 passes for 206 yards and one touchdown. In 2019 his 33 catches tied tight end CJ O’Grady for most receptions on the team while logging a second on the team 423 yards with four touchdowns
Last season under Coach Sam Pittman, Woods was second on the team to receiver Treylon Burks while catching 32 passes for 619 yard and five touchdowns.
During last Saturday’s Red-White intrasquad game Woods caught 2 passes for 42 yards, the first a 33-yard touchdown from quarterback KJ Jefferson against the first-team defense.
Off Woods shocking departure, offensive coordinator Kendal Briles and receivers coach Kenny Guiton look to several sources as the top complement to Burks, 51 catches, for 820 yards and 7 touchdowns last season.
Junior Trey Knox, only 7 catches for 70 yards last year but 28 for 385 yards and three touchdowns as a 2019 freshman, senior Tyson Morris, 7 for 67 and a touchdown last year after 13 for 155 and a touchdown in 2019, transfer Jaqualyn Crawford, 3 catches for 33 yards in the Red-White, John David White, the leading Red-White receiver with 5 catches for 87 yards and a touchdown, and January enrolled freshman Jaedon Wilson, 1 catch for 38 yards in the Red-White game are the top candidates.
Raheim “Rocket” Sanders, recruited as a receiver but moved to running back at the outset of spring practice, also is a wide receiver candidate.