After entering the NCAA Transfer Portal, and after being heavily recruited by Texas, Jayden Woods ultimately decided to return to the Florida Gators.
"My dad, he'd always tell me growing up to never be too high, never be too low, always stay consistent," he said. "You know zero to me represents staying grounded, staying consistent." After Florida moved on from Billy Napier and hired Jon Sumrall, Woods, one of the top freshmen in all of college football last season after a 27-tackle, 3.
5-sack season,"I didn't go on any social media for a couple days. I would legit just leave my phone in another spot and I'll be somewhere else. I'll leave my phone downstairs, I'll be upstairs. It's just phone calls, all that," he said. "Text messages from random numbers. You can say it's stressful, you can say it's annoying for some people, but at the end of the day, it's still a blessing." Florida's Jayden Woods discussed his return on Monday. | Alan Youngblood/Gainesville Sun / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images One of those calls came from Texas, which made it no secret that they wanted Woods. And, they wanted him badly., even hosting him on a visit. It helped that the program's new defensive coordinator is Will Muschamp, one of the most respected defensive minds in the history of college football. It is only ironic that he happens to be With that was an opportunity for Texas to negatively recruit against Florida. However, Muschamp and the Longhorns did not, and, ironically, the visit and talk with Muschamp helped Woods decide to return to the Gators. "One thing about them is they never badmouthed Florida. That was a good thing that I noticed, they only had good things to say," he said. "It's a good program, so Will Muschamp as a person, he was a great person to meet, sit down with and go over football with, so great to meet him." While Texas made a push, so much so that outsiders thought it was a guarantee he would be a Longhorn in 2026, so did the Gators. Sumrall, paired with, hoping to make one last push to get Woods to stay. Football was not at the forefront of their pitch, which Woods said eventually "drove it home" for him. "The biggest thing for me was how they interacted with me and my family," Woods said. "We barely talked about football when they were there, and that was the biggest thing for me. They really got to know my family, coach Sumrall said my grandpa's still sending him pictures of meals that he's cooked, so I know the relationship is good."That's not to say they never talked ball, though. Those conversations came in various FaceTime and Zoom calls to go over the playbook and Woods' role in White's defense. There were also the recruiting efforts of his UF teammates. Junior linebacker Myles Graham made a concerted effort to keep the bulk of Florida's young contributors, especially the other: Woods, Jadan Baugh, Dallas Wilson and Vernell Brown III. Like Sumrall's pitch, though, football was not necessarily at the forefront. Graham, who remained in Gainesville, and while he gave Woods space to make his decision, he was able to answer Woods' questions about the new staff.Those moves allowed Florida to move back in contention, and when it became time to make his decision, Woods turned to his family and his faith. And, eventually, "Me and my family were in the front room right after Florida left and we all prayed as a family," he explained. "Went upstairs, was on my own, and it kinda clicked for me like I can see what path God is showing me, what path the Lord wants to lead me on and that's the biggest thing, okay I'm just gonna trust in that decision." There were other factors that, in any other player's situation, would have had the biggest factor in the decision that Woods said did not. Firstly, he made it clear that his decision did not come down to money. He also said his agent, former UF linebacker Derek Wingo, stayed unbiased, which allowed him to make an informed decision.Woods also emphasized that he "stayed pretty even" when deciding between transferring to Texas or staying at Florida, even when outsiders thought the Longhorns had all but guaranteed his transfer. "I didn't sway back and forth either way because I'm grown, but I'm not a full-grown adult, see what I'm saying? So I don't want to react off emotions," he said. "So I kind of stayed out of it and kind of just observed everything, and when I made my decision, I feel like that helped me grow up a little bit, because I know how to make a big decision." Those traits are also what drew Florida's staff to keep Woods outside of just his production on the field. White said his thoughtfulness is "what makes him such a unique individual." Sumrall said that the way Woods carries himself makes him the kind of guy he wants to build his culture around.He's also doing so with a bit of a chip on his shoulder. Having been labeled a weight room freak and a "unicorn" by the previous staff, Woods has been a "mutant" in strength and conditioning coach Rusty Whitt's eyes. It helps that Woods has been winning one-on-one battles with receivers in drills and in the famed Gauntlet offseason workout program. "Good luck finding an edge rusher anywhere in a country who's going to run and catch ," Whitt said. "He kept beating our running backs." The portal process is also fueling Woods. He understands that Florida went to major lengths to keep him. He does not want that to go unnoticed or be taken for granted. He also does not look at it as proving himself to others, but rather proving himself right. "Football doesn't owe you anything," he said. "You can work as hard as you want, as long as you want, and you could get absolutely nothing. My biggest thing, I'm going to put as much as I can into the game. Whatever it gives back to me, I'm going to be grateful for."Cam Parker is a reporter covering the Florida Gators, Auburn Tigers and Clemson Tigers with a degree in journalism from the University of Florida. He also covers and broadcasts Alachua County high school sports with The Prep Zone and Mainstreet Daily News. When he isn't writing, he enjoys listening to '70s music such as The Band or Lynyrd Skynyrd, binge-watching shows and playing with his cat, Chester, and dog, Rufus.Projecting the Men's College Basketball AP Top 25: Michigan State Rises, Purdue Plummets
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