Wade Woodaz

● Tall, well-built frame with adequate length and muscle ● Speed to the sideline and closes gap in chase mode ● Active athlete to stay ahead of play design and beat pullers to the spot ● Rangy eyes and feet to find the cutback 482 Back to table of contents -- 486 of 629 -- ● Coverage athleticism allows him to hunt crossers or carry running backs and tight ends ● Physical gap filler and aggressively fights off tight end blocks ● Big hands and strong grip to finish tackles to the ground ● Voted a team captain in 2025 and described as a “throwback” with the way he holds his teammates accountable ● Extensive special teams background (688 career snaps) and made plays on both kick and punt coverages

● High cut; tackling strike zone is a tad elevated ● Struggles to anchor or control blockers ● Impatient and attacks before diagnosing, leaving holes in the scheme ● Needs to better play through blocks with his eyes ● Can be bumped off route path by physical pass catchers ● Senior tape didn’t show an effective blitzer ● Right shoulder popped out of its socket (Nov. 2025), which required surgery and sidelined him for Clemson’s bowl game and part of the draft process; missed two games as a junior because of a leg contusion (Nov. 2024)

A starter for two-and-a-half-years at Clemson, Woodaz played a variety of inside, outside and nickel roles in defensive coordinator Tom Allen’s scheme (he wore the green dot for the Tigers’ defense). He made an immediate impact on special teams before becoming a key playmaker on defense, earning All-ACC honors as a junior and senior. Because of his trigger and pursuit speed, Woodaz is a run-and-hit linebacker with the sideline range to outrace blocking angles. His downhill flow is aggressive, although his big eyes lead to false steps and his underdeveloped take-on technique leaves him attached to blockers. His speed also translates to coverage, where he can cover a ton of ground. Overall, Woodaz needs to introduce more control to his frenzied play style, but his athleticism and eagerness to make plays can be assets in the right role. He has the competitive makeup and speed to earn his paycheck on special teams while working for defensive snaps.