
USC's Woody Marks could make substantial impact in Year 1 with Houston Texans
The expectation for Marks in Year 1 isn't a 1,000-yard rushing season with the Texans. Houston already has an elite running back in the building: Joe Mixon. However, there is a dire need for a productive running back as the second option. That could be Nick Chubb or it could be Marks.
In a Raiders Wire feature Texans Wire reporter Cole Thompson offered his thoughts on a potential breakout rookie for the Texans:
"There will be a role for Marks in Nick Caley's offense. How big? That depends on the status of Nick Chubb, who when healthy should be the primary No. 2 back behind Joe Mixon. Still, the Texans didn't give up a future third-round pick in 2026 for the former USC star to sit. Marks' best asset are his hands, especially on third down in the receiving game. Over five college seasons with Mississippi State & USC, he caught 261 passes for 1,546 yards and five touchdowns. Caley's offense has always featured at least one stable pass-catching runner, so if Marks can provide that spark out of the backfield for C.J. Stroud during training camp, he'll be a gadget type that keeps the sticks moving on manageable situations through the air."
Woody Marks is a multi-talented back who can play all three downs for this Texans offense, making him really valuable and a candidate for an impactful rookie performer. Who knows how productive Nick Chubb will be after suffering multiple injuries the last couple seasons? Woody Marks is definitely a name to keep an eye on for the Texans this upcoming preseason.

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
9 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Saniyah Hall commits to USC, Trojans land 3rd No. 1 prospect in past 4 women's basketball recruiting classes
USC women's basketball head coach Lindsay Gottlieb has received a commitment from another No. 1 prospect, the third top recruit to pledge to her program in the past four cycles, according to ESPN. Saniyah Hall, a 6-foot-2 forward who now plays for SPIRE Academy in Ohio, announced her commitment to USC Friday on ESPN's "NBA Today." "I would just say it felt like home," Hall said following her official visit to USC. "I loved all of my teammates. The girls there are so fun to be around. The coaches ... have high support, but [Gottlieb] is definitely there to just support me, and I've built a relationship with her — she's a great coach." Last week, Hall helped Team USA win gold at the U19 Women's World Cup. She earned tournament MVP honors after averaging 19.9 points, 6.4 rebounds, 2.0 assists and 2.9 steals per games while shooting 52.6% from the field and 39.3% from 3. Hall has transferred back to her home state for her final season, but last year she played her junior season at Montverde Academy in Florida. Hall picked USC over North Carolina and UCLA. She's following in the footsteps of Trojans guards JuJu Watkins and Jazzy Davidson, who were rated by ESPN as No. 1 prospects in the 2023 and 2025 recruiting classes, respectively, before committing to USC. Although Watkins suffered a season-ending ACL tear in USC's second-round NCAA tournament game against Mississippi State, she swept the major National Player of the Year awards this year as a sophomore. Additionally, she collected first-team All-American honors for the second year in a row after averaging 23.9 points, 6.8 rebounds, 3.4 assists, 2.2 steals and 1.8 blocks per game. USC, which has made back-to-back Elite 8s as a 1-seed, is adding to Davidson to the fold for the 2025-26 season. She rounded out her Clackamas High School career as the 2024-25 Gatorade Oregon Girls Basketball Player of the Year, averaging 29.3 points, 8.7 rebounds, 3.3 steals, 2.6 assists and 1.9 blocks per game as a senior. While the Trojans will have to wait for Watkins to fully recover, their 2026-27 roster is shaping up to be spectacular, perhaps fit to end the program's four-plus-decade national title drought.
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
USC women's basketball lands top recruit Saniyah Hall. Why she picked Trojans
Southern California women's basketball team has landed another top recruit. Saniyah Hall, the top female high school basketball recruit in the class of 2026, according to ESPN's rankings, has committed to play for USC after receiving offers from nearly 30 schools, including UConn, UCLA, South Carolina, North Carolina and LSU. The 16-year-old made the announcement on ESPN's "NBA Today" on Friday, saying, USC "felt like home." "It's such a blessing to be in this position, but I think I truly found my home, and I'm ready to tell the world where I'm going," she said before revealing a Trojans shirt underneath her jacket. "I am headed to the University of Southern California. Go Trojans! Fight on." Hall's announcement comes on the heels of her gold medal win with Team USA at the FIBA Under-19 World Cup. She was named MVP after averaging 19.9 points and 6.4 rebounds, shooting 52.6% from the field and 39.3% on 3-pointers. She scored 25 points vs. Australia in the gold-medal game. Her 19.9 points per game may have set a USA U19 record, but Hall said she's proudest of her defense: "I had a lot of steals that game and a lot of blocks." She'll join a Trojans squad that is assembling elite talent under coach Lindsay Gottlieb. McDonald's All-American Jazzy Davidson, the third overall recruit in the 2025 class, who competed alongside Hall on the USA U19 team, also committed to play for USC. The Trojans were 31-4 last season and lost to UConn in an Elite Eight game after superstar Juju Watkins went down with an ACL injury during the second round of the 2025 NCAA Tournament. Hall said Gottlieb and her teammates led to her choice to commit to USC. On Friday, she said, "I love all my teammates. The girls there are so fun to be around definitely Lindsay (Gottlieb)... she's definitely there to support me and I've built a relationship with her. She's a great coach." The Ohio native will finish her senior season of high school basketball at SPIRE Academy in Geneva, Ohio. Last season, she played for Montverde (Florida) Academy and averaged 20.3 points, 6.7 rebounds, 3.6 assists, 2.8 steals and 1.4 blocks. Hall signed an NIL deal with Jordan brand earlier this month. During her announcement, Hall said, "I don't have anything to prove. I just go out, play basketball. I let my game do the talking. Actions speak for themselves." The USA TODAY app gets you to the heart of the news — fastDownload for award-winning coverage, crosswords, audio storytelling, the eNewspaper and more This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Saniyah Hall commits to USC women's basketball as top recruit in 2026


USA Today
an hour ago
- USA Today
USC women's basketball lands top recruit Saniyah Hall. Why she picked Trojans
Southern California women's basketball team has landed another top recruit. Saniyah Hall, the top female high school basketball recruit in the class of 2026, according to ESPN's rankings, has committed to play for USC after receiving offers from nearly 30 schools, including UConn, UCLA, South Carolina, North Carolina and LSU. The 16-year-old made the announcement on ESPN's "NBA Today" on Friday, saying, USC "felt like home." "It's such a blessing to be in this position, but I think I truly found my home, and I'm ready to tell the world where I'm going," she said before revealing a Trojans shirt underneath her jacket. "I am headed to the University of Southern California. Go Trojans! Fight on." Hall's announcement comes on the heels of her gold medal win with Team USA at the FIBA Under-19 World Cup. She was named MVP after averaging 19.9 points and 6.4 rebounds, shooting 52.6% from the field and 39.3% on 3-pointers. She scored 25 points vs. Australia in the gold-medal game. Her 19.9 points per game may have set a USA U19 record, but Hall said she's proudest of her defense: "I had a lot of steals that game and a lot of blocks." She'll join a Trojans squad that is assembling elite talent under coach Lindsay Gottlieb. McDonald's All-American Jazzy Davidson, the third overall recruit in the 2025 class, who competed alongside Hall on the USA U19 team, also committed to play for USC. The Trojans were 31-4 last season and lost to UConn in an Elite Eight game after superstar Juju Watkins went down with an ACL injury during the second round of the 2025 NCAA Tournament. Hall said Gottlieb and her teammates led to her choice to commit to USC. On Friday, she said, "I love all my teammates. The girls there are so fun to be around definitely Lindsay (Gottlieb)... she's definitely there to support me and I've built a relationship with her. She's a great coach." The Ohio native will finish her senior season of high school basketball at SPIRE Academy in Geneva, Ohio. Last season, she played for Montverde (Florida) Academy and averaged 20.3 points, 6.7 rebounds, 3.6 assists, 2.8 steals and 1.4 blocks. Hall signed an NIL deal with Jordan brand earlier this month. During her announcement, Hall said, "I don't have anything to prove. I just go out, play basketball. I let my game do the talking. Actions speak for themselves." The USA TODAY app gets you to the heart of the news — fast. Download for award-winning coverage, crosswords, audio storytelling, the eNewspaper and more.