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USA Today
14-07-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
USC's Woody Marks could make substantial impact in Year 1 with Houston Texans
Last season as a USC Trojan, Woody Marks showed out in a big way. He delivered a 1,133 rushing yard season with 9 rushing touchdowns. He also caught 47 passes for 321 yards. This type of production led to Marks being selected with the No. 116 pick in the fourth round of the NFL draft by the 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.
USA Today
04-07-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Donovan Mitchell wants Evan Mobley to be more aggressive
It was a huge year for USC Trojan alum Evan Mobley. He was a pivotal reason why the Cleveland Cavaliers were the best team in the NBA Eastern Conference in the regular season. His Defensive Player Of The Year Award and his offensive improvement affirmed how good he was. Mobley was limited in the playoffs due to battling injuries, but he still had 17.1 points, 8.1 rebounds per contest and shot 45% from three. His teammates and everyone in the building believe there is more room for growth for him this season. In a recent Hoops Wire article, writer Ashish Mathur wrote about a new Taylor Rooks interview with Donovan Mitchell and his thoughts on his teammate Evan Mobley being more aggressive. "Mobley won the Defensive Player of the Year Award and made his first All-Star team last season. He averaged 18.5 points, 9.3 rebounds, 3.2 assists, 0.9 steals and 1.6 blocks for the Cavaliers during the regular season. 'Evan doesn't even know what he is yet,' Mitchell said. 'I've seen it in flashes. The Boston series, when I was out, he was him. Defensive Player of the Year at 23. First-Team All-Defense. But offensively? He's just scratching the surface. He has it. 'Now it's about aggression, consistency, demanding the ball. That's what I keep telling him. No, we need more. Demand it. If I don't pass you the ball, get on my ass. If DG (Darius Garland) don't give you the ball, get on his ass.' Mathur also provided Cleveland general manager Koby Altman's thoughts on Evan Mobley's potential ascent. 'We're going to go as a franchise as Evan is going to go,' Altman said. 'We've had that conversation with Evan. In the playoffs, we need more. We need more than 13 field goal attempts per game — that's new for Evan. There's another jump. And so to that point, Kenny (Atkinson)'s going to be able to implement his offseason program, which we're very excited about. And we're going to see some internal growth there, and we think we have one of the best big men in the game in Evan Mobley.' Evan Mobley had career highs in points per game (18.5) and free throw percentage (72.5) last season. However it is still evident, especially to his teammates, that there is another level he can go to as a scorer. We could see Evan Mobley reach All-Star status once again this next season, but this time as a 20 points per game scorer.
USA Today
20-04-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
'We have two 'blankets' now' Texas A&M CB Will Lee III speaks on transfer Julian Humphrey
'We have two 'blankets' now' Texas A&M CB Will Lee III speaks on transfer Julian Humphrey The 2025 Texas A&M Maroon & White Spring game answered many early questions about the defensive side of the ball. The team made plays on all three levels, limited the big plays, and caused several turnovers while looking in midseason form. At the end of last season, coach Mike Elko made headlines for being upset about his team's inability to stop pass plays during the bowl game against a depleted USC Trojan football team. He took full responsibility for not having his team ready to play and said he would get more involved in the defense. However, he didn't just talk about it; he attacked it head-on, hitting the transfer portal and adding to his staff. The Aggies got a head start on shoring up the cornerback position when Will Lee announced that he was returning for his senior season, but that still left a void when it came to experienced players who had success at a high level. A&M veteran Tyreek Chappell spent most of his time on the injured reserve list, and the talented Dezz Ricks struggled down the stretch. Coach Elko brought some competition to the position when he picked up transfers Jordan Shaw from Washington and Julian Humphrey from Georgia. After getting rave reviews during spring practice, they put in some solid work during the spring game. Will Lee spoke on the defensive backs after the game. "Jordan Shaw specifically like he's a dog. That's really been like a person I always felt close with since he came in. He's an open guy you can talk to him all day every day about anything and on the field, he knows what he's doing he's playing fast" "Julio he's making great plays out there on the field and he's going to keep balling. So we got two blankets now so we going to put it to work" The defensive back room now has depth and talent that have been working hard. Will Lee has confidence that they will be back on track and much improved, easing coach Elko's concerns from the end of last season. Contact/Follow us @AggiesWire on X and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Texas A&M news, notes, and opinions. Follow Jarrett Johnson on X: @whosnextsports1.
