ANDERSON- During his first season playing at quarterback for Eastside (Anderson, S.C.) as a freshman in 2021, Cutter Woods experienced some typical rookie growing pains. Woods passed for 80 of 155 for a 51.5% completion rate, with a seven-to-seven touchdown to interception ratio.
While those numbers weren’t bad, especially for his first season on the job, the early road bumps for the quarterback would only go on to help Woods at his new program, Westside High School, where he transferred to in 2022. Even more could be in store for the future for the gunslinger that has come back swinging for the fences for the rest of his prep career after the early test.
Westside’s 6-5 finish in 2021 before Woods arrived, mixed with the ongoing, 50-plus year state title drought for the Rams, the program which was in search of their first state championship since 1969, would only serve as extra fuel for the fire burning within Woods and his teammates. The big-time passer and his team would complete a 360-degree, turnaround, savior season during his sophomore campaign in 2022. The gunslinger connected on 62% of his passes for 3,014 yards, with a highly-improved, elite, 28 to five touchdown to interception ratio, with the Rams fighting their way all the way to the third round of the 4A Playoffs in 2022, Westside only falling to state power Northwestern (Rock Hill) in their state title campaign.
The hard work and strong showing in 2022 would immediately pay off for the big-armed signal caller on the recruiting trail. Woods would be re-offered by head coach Jamey Chadwell and Liberty University in June 2023, one year after the previous leader in Lynchburg gave the quarterback his first opportunity under former head coach Hugh Freeze, who would leave the program to take the same role at Auburn.
Chadwell was the coach that gave Woods his second offer when he was still at Coastal Carolina in late June 2022, and both Chadwell and Freeze's programs each identified Woods early before he would become a 10-win, 3,000-plus yard passer in 2022.
After his standout performance in 2022, Woods' name began to further circulate in the area last offseason, Wake Forest offering Woods April 27, 2023, Middle Tennessee State following up on May 3, and Appalachian State extending him an opportunity on May 4.
Soon later, it was Charlotte on May 17, Marshall on June 2, James Madison on June 3, Virginia Tech on June 20, and Hokies’ rival UVA on Aug. 6. He also lists an offer from Miami of Ohio.
While still keeping in contact with schools recruiting him, Woods wouldn’t hear of earn another offer until Dec. 13. The Westside quarterback was able to showcase his talents at several camps last summer, including at the Elite 11 in Atlanta and with major area and state Power 4 programs Auburn, Clemson, South Carolina.
But now, with the 2024 offseason back in play, Woods' recruitment is back in full swing. It was first-year head coach Fran Brown's Syracuse program that dished out Woods his No. 11 offer to close a strong year for the prospect.
But what he did in between the 129-day period between his offers from the Cavaliers and Orange was the stuff of legend.
The season which would culminate with a 34-32 state title triumph on Dec. 2 over defending champion South Florence at Oliver C. Dawson Stadium in Orangeburg where Woods slung the ball for 248 yards and two touchdowns and generated 300 overall yards of total offense utilizing his legs appeared to be the Bruins' game to lose. But the thriller would end in elation for the Rams, lifting a 54-year old weight off the shoulders for a major part of the city of Anderson, with students, fans, and alumni sharing the joy of the championship together as a community.
South Florence led 20-7 at the end of the first quarter and 32-20 by the time the final seconds of the third period had ticked off the clock, but it was a party in the end zone for Woods and the Rams during the final quarter of the season in a game that was a nail-biter to the finish.
With 10 minutes remaining, Woods zipped a 10-yard touchdown pass to Josh Williams to trim the lead to 32-27. Then, he led a heroic drive down the field with just two minutes remaining, which culminated with a 17-yard toss to Jammer “Tank” Boston, a 6-foot, 175-pound wide receiver, on a corner route where Woods zipped tightly zipped it the pass-catcher who open in space while maintaining great air on the ball.
The efforts displayed by the Rams' QB reminisced of a college great completing the historic comeback in a major bowl or playoff game on the big stage.
But crazily enough, putting the team on his back to will Westside to their first state title in over five decades was just a small part of what Woods accomplished on the gridiron last fall, as the gunslinger throwing for an astatine 3,915 yards and 42 touchdowns, connecting on 7.4% more of his passes and generating nearly 1,000 additional yards than he did during an impressive sophomore effort in 2022.
ZEKE MARSHALL, OTHERS RETURN TO WESTSIDE PROGRAM THAT SHOULD BE COMPETITIVE AGAIN IN 2024
Expectations will be high for Woods and Westside once again next fall, as the Rams return guys like 6-foot-6, 200-pound safety, Zeke Marshall. With offers from Appalachian State, Charlotte, East Carolina, Virginia Tech, and West Virginia, the defender that also stars at guard on the basketball team could be one of the most underrated talents in the Palmetto State.
The ballhawk with insane leaping abilities can extend his body to bat down passes and fight with receivers to gain leverage, and oftentimes, getting his hands on the football, something he was prone to doing last fall, Marshall hauling in nine picks for the Rams on the defense.
Zeke has a nose for the football, Marshall heading downhill to connect on tackles to support against the run game and screen passes in space. The two-sport star can make draw-dropping, bone-crushing hits. Just watch the first highlight below on his Hudl, where the helmet of his opponent literally flies off as he works downhill to make the hit on the receiver running a mid-range pattern.
Marshall can also get the job done in space, getting in between the tackles and wrapping up in space when facing the run game, screen, and mid-range patterns. A 71-tackle output in 2023 serves as proof.
MARSHALL'S RECRUITMENT HEADING INTO SENIOR SEASON
Look for West Virginia to play a role in Marshall's Division 1 recruitment, as the Mountaineers got to the beat early on Zeke, beating others to the punch in delivering the underrated talent his first offer.
Marshall is aware of the impact the Mountaineers are trying to make with underrated Palmetto Preps like himself. Zeke is aware of 5-foot-10, 205-pound Traveon Dunbar of the Class of 2024, who rumbled to over 4,600 yards, 65 touchdowns during a prep career in Palmetto State, and the impact head coach Neal Brown's program made on the fellow instate athlete during the recruitment
It could be West Virginia’s race to lose, as Marshall likes the Mountaineers, and their dedication to recruiting underdog, instate players. But only time will tell, and Virginia Tech, who is beginning to pick up traction on the recruiting trail and win column under incoming third-year head coach Brent Pry, and the Hokies, who heavily recruit the Upstate, delivering an offer to Woods, along with incoming 6-foot-6, 190-pound Class of 2026 Jayvon Gilmore, delivered Marshall his first ACC offer on Jan. 22. Also be on the look out for the Hokies.
Now, going back to the topic of Woods...
SYRACUSE, VIRGINIA, WAKE FOREST RECENTLY ON CAMPUS IN THE UPSTATE
Coaches from Syracuse and Virginia were in town to visit Woods at Westside Jan. 30, and Wake Forest, who offered early in the process, was on hand Jan. 31.
“They’re great coaches,” he said of the group from the Cavaliers that stopped by to pay him a visit.
As for the Demon Deacons, the athlete with a 4.4, ACC-ready GPA said that he loves the style of offense ran by the program that was the former home of 2024 NFL Draft prospect Sam Hartman. “Just throwing a lot of touchdowns, (utilizing) an RPO with a spread,” he said.
The ACC programs are seeking to get ahead of the ball with Woods before the next dead period, (Feb. 5- March 3) is initiated in just a few short days.
Analysis: Woods is a big-armed passer that can complete all of the throws on the route tree with precision, but the QB's ability as a dual-threat helps set him apart from his peers. He can step up to make the run after completing his read, demonstrating speed, physicality, and a fearlessness of the defense. Woods knows how to operate from the option attack, and can make defenders miss before making the read for the play to decide whether he wants to keep the football or pitch it off to a running back.
His body control is also good when making throws on the run, keeping his shoulders square and vision locked in while making a quick decision on the fly. Check out Woods progress through his reads, putting his unique athletic skillset on display at 3:05, where after going through the progressions, the young QB makes the smart decision to dump the ball off to the only wide receiver open on the curl route.
Or check out another example of Woods’ arm strength and precision on a deep vertical at 3:31.
Polished passer with good footwork and leader than can manage the game and execute deep drives and deliver in clutch situations.
Projection: ACC or Power 4 signee
