Players Mentioned
USC’s Woody Marks Selected by Houston Texans in Fourth Round of 2025 NFL Draft
April 26, 2025 | Football
LOS ANGELES – USC running back Woody Marks was selected by the Houston Texans as the 14th pick of the fourth round (116th overall) of the 2025 NFL Draft.
Marks is USC's 532nd all-time draftee. USC is second behind Notre Dame's 535 for most NFL Draft picks all time.
Marks is the seventh Trojan running back drafted since 2010, including fourth in the top four rounds in that time frame.
Marks became an instantaneous fan favorite when he arrived at Troy. In just one season, he truly made his mark. Marks appeared and started in 12 games (all but Texas A&M), rushing for 1,133 yards on 198 carries with 9 TDs as well as 321 yards on 47 receptions, as a redshirt senior in 2024. He earned Second Team All-Big Ten honors for his performance.
He sits at 24th among USC's all-time single-season rushing leaders with 1,133 yards this season. He surpasses Anthony Davis who had 1,112 rushing yards in the 1973 season. Marks is USC's first 1,000-yard rusher since Ronald Jones II rushed for 1,550 yards in 2017. Since Reggie Bush and LenDale White were 1,000-yard rushers in 2005, just five USC RBs have been 1,000-yard season rushers: Joe McKnight (2009), Curtis McNeal (2011), Javorius Allen (2014), Ronald Jones II (2016 & 2017) and now Woody Marks. He also tied with WR Zachariah Branch for USC's 2024 receiving leader with 47 catches for 321 yards (6.83 avg.). He is the first Trojan RB with 40+ catches in a single season since Javorius Allen recorded 41 in 2014. Marks has collected 47 receptions with at least 2 games remaining. When he left early in the first quarter against Notre Dame, he snapped his streak of consecutive games with at least one catch at 56. It was the longest active streak in the nation. He was No. 4 in the Big Ten among all positions (and No. 11 in the Power 4) with 37 explosive runs throughout the season. Marks averaged 121.17 all-purpose yards per game, which ranked third in the Big Ten and 18thin the nation. His 1,133 rushing yards were fourth in the Big Ten, and his rushing yards per game (94.4) ranked No. 3 in the Big Ten and 25th in the nation.
While at Mississippi State, he was the first in MSU history with 214 career receptions, and also has the most receiving yards by a running back (1,225) in Mississippi State history. He holds the MSU record for consecutive games with a catch (45).
As a senior in 2023, he had 121 carries for 573 yards (4.7 avg.) with 4 TDs and 23 receptions for 167 yards (2.6 avg.) and 2 TDs while appearing in 9 games with 9 starts.
As a junior in 2022, he led the team 113 rushing attempts for 582 yards (5.2 avg.) with 9 TDs, leading the team in rushing attempts, rushing yards and rushing TDs. He also had collected 48 receptions for 288 yards (6.0 avg.) while appearing in 12 games with 7 starts. Only 14 players in the nation ended the 2022 season on active streaks of 35 or more games.
As a sophomore in 2021, Marks ran for 416 yards on 106 carries (3.9 avg.) with 6 TDs and tallied 83 cached for 502 yards (6.0 avg.) with 3 TDs while appearing in 13 games with 8 starts. He also returned 11 kicks for the Bulldogs for 231 yards. His 83 receptions marked third-most in program history and most by a running back at Mississippi State. He tied for fourth in program history with 2 career games with 10+ catches.
As a true freshman in 2020, he recorded 70 carries for 312 yards (4.5 avg.) with 3 TDs and had 60 receptions for 268 yards (4.5 avg.) while appearing in all 11 games with 8 starts. He set the Mississippi State single-season mark for receptions by a freshman and by a running back and finished the season tied for No. 6 on the single-season receptions chart (60). His 10 receptions against Arkansas (10/3/2020) are the most by a Mississippi State freshman in a single game in program history. He led the FBS in receptions by a running back with 60.
He earned his bachelor's degree in Kinesiology from Mississippi State in 2023 and a certificate in Gerontology from USC in 2024.
USC has a rich NFL Draft history. USC and Michigan are the only schools with an NFL draftee every year since 1939. USC has the longest active streak (24 years) with a player drafted in the Top 3 Rounds. USC has the most picks in the common draft era (1967), with 366 (next is Ohio State with 353 and Notre Dame with 321). USC's 86 first round NFL draft picks are second most behind Ohio State's 95.
On Friday (April 25), USC cornerback Jaylin Smith was selected by the Houston Texans as the 33rd pick of the third round (97th overall).
The 2025 NFL Draft continues with the fourth through seventh rounds on Saturday (April 26).
Marks is USC's 532nd all-time draftee. USC is second behind Notre Dame's 535 for most NFL Draft picks all time.
Marks is the seventh Trojan running back drafted since 2010, including fourth in the top four rounds in that time frame.
Marks became an instantaneous fan favorite when he arrived at Troy. In just one season, he truly made his mark. Marks appeared and started in 12 games (all but Texas A&M), rushing for 1,133 yards on 198 carries with 9 TDs as well as 321 yards on 47 receptions, as a redshirt senior in 2024. He earned Second Team All-Big Ten honors for his performance.
He sits at 24th among USC's all-time single-season rushing leaders with 1,133 yards this season. He surpasses Anthony Davis who had 1,112 rushing yards in the 1973 season. Marks is USC's first 1,000-yard rusher since Ronald Jones II rushed for 1,550 yards in 2017. Since Reggie Bush and LenDale White were 1,000-yard rushers in 2005, just five USC RBs have been 1,000-yard season rushers: Joe McKnight (2009), Curtis McNeal (2011), Javorius Allen (2014), Ronald Jones II (2016 & 2017) and now Woody Marks. He also tied with WR Zachariah Branch for USC's 2024 receiving leader with 47 catches for 321 yards (6.83 avg.). He is the first Trojan RB with 40+ catches in a single season since Javorius Allen recorded 41 in 2014. Marks has collected 47 receptions with at least 2 games remaining. When he left early in the first quarter against Notre Dame, he snapped his streak of consecutive games with at least one catch at 56. It was the longest active streak in the nation. He was No. 4 in the Big Ten among all positions (and No. 11 in the Power 4) with 37 explosive runs throughout the season. Marks averaged 121.17 all-purpose yards per game, which ranked third in the Big Ten and 18thin the nation. His 1,133 rushing yards were fourth in the Big Ten, and his rushing yards per game (94.4) ranked No. 3 in the Big Ten and 25th in the nation.
While at Mississippi State, he was the first in MSU history with 214 career receptions, and also has the most receiving yards by a running back (1,225) in Mississippi State history. He holds the MSU record for consecutive games with a catch (45).
As a senior in 2023, he had 121 carries for 573 yards (4.7 avg.) with 4 TDs and 23 receptions for 167 yards (2.6 avg.) and 2 TDs while appearing in 9 games with 9 starts.
As a junior in 2022, he led the team 113 rushing attempts for 582 yards (5.2 avg.) with 9 TDs, leading the team in rushing attempts, rushing yards and rushing TDs. He also had collected 48 receptions for 288 yards (6.0 avg.) while appearing in 12 games with 7 starts. Only 14 players in the nation ended the 2022 season on active streaks of 35 or more games.
As a sophomore in 2021, Marks ran for 416 yards on 106 carries (3.9 avg.) with 6 TDs and tallied 83 cached for 502 yards (6.0 avg.) with 3 TDs while appearing in 13 games with 8 starts. He also returned 11 kicks for the Bulldogs for 231 yards. His 83 receptions marked third-most in program history and most by a running back at Mississippi State. He tied for fourth in program history with 2 career games with 10+ catches.
As a true freshman in 2020, he recorded 70 carries for 312 yards (4.5 avg.) with 3 TDs and had 60 receptions for 268 yards (4.5 avg.) while appearing in all 11 games with 8 starts. He set the Mississippi State single-season mark for receptions by a freshman and by a running back and finished the season tied for No. 6 on the single-season receptions chart (60). His 10 receptions against Arkansas (10/3/2020) are the most by a Mississippi State freshman in a single game in program history. He led the FBS in receptions by a running back with 60.
He earned his bachelor's degree in Kinesiology from Mississippi State in 2023 and a certificate in Gerontology from USC in 2024.
USC has a rich NFL Draft history. USC and Michigan are the only schools with an NFL draftee every year since 1939. USC has the longest active streak (24 years) with a player drafted in the Top 3 Rounds. USC has the most picks in the common draft era (1967), with 366 (next is Ohio State with 353 and Notre Dame with 321). USC's 86 first round NFL draft picks are second most behind Ohio State's 95.
On Friday (April 25), USC cornerback Jaylin Smith was selected by the Houston Texans as the 33rd pick of the third round (97th overall).
The 2025 NFL Draft continues with the fourth through seventh rounds on Saturday (April 26).
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