‘I can’t give up this opportunity:’ Northeast running back Nick Woodford commits to Morehouse

The recruiting surge never really came for Nick Woodford, astoundingly.

From an attention-getting sophomore season to a record-setting senior season — two seasons that sandwiched a knee injury as a junior — Woodford never slowed down, storming past the 2,000-yard and 6,000-yard rushing standards, leading Northeast to unprecedented success in 2024.

So the local and state football community no doubt was taken aback last week with Woodford’s commitment announcement.

It wasn’t a power-4 school, a mid-level bowl team or an FCS playoff team.

He picked Morehouse.

Morehouse? In the Division II SIAC, Fort Valley State’s conference? That’s coming off three straight one-win seasons? And hasn’t been above .500 since 2018?

That Morehouse. But the anxiety in Woodford’s voice was more because of anticipation than anything else.

“I’m coming in making an impact,” he said. “It’s a great education. Great men leave there with not only a name, but a foundation of just being a great person. That’s something I really live by.”

Woodford is also anticipating life beyond the football field. Morehouse has produced the most Black male Rhodes Scholars, and is among the leaders in Black students earning PhD in the STEM fields. In 2023, U.S. News & World Report ranked the school fifth among HBCUs and 20th overall for “best undergraduate teaching.”

Woodford, in fact, spent three days this week in Orlando as part of Northeast’s “Lighthouse Team.” Northeast was recently named the state’s first Lighthouse High School, recognizing schools that have implemented a “Leader in Me” school improvement model with a focus on leadership.

The symposium is in Orlando, and Woodford will be focused on that, not recruiting or Morehouse, though that focus will soon return.

Woodford is expected to sign next week when the second signing period begins.

Morehouse entered the picture a little late, when running backs coach Cornelius Walker contacted Woodford and started the selling process. So did Woodford, when he took a visit and the process got off to a good start.

“I saw the place and the people and the ambassadors, all the things about Morehouse,” said Woodford, eyeing engineering as a major and perhaps parks and recreation management as a minor. “It was incredible. It was amazing, very historical.”

Then he and his parents met with head coach Terance Mathis, the former Atlanta Falcon — and New York Jets and Pittsburgh Steelers — wide receiver.

“I just went straight into business,” Woodford said. “I was explaining to him that my parents were not paying for (fees). I went in straight up … with humility. I never came to a coach with that type of enthusiasm and that type of demand.”

It was a confident Woodford who knew he still had not proved anything on the college level. But he knew what he’d done on the high school level, and knew Morehouse would be itching to bring him to campus.

The main thing? A full scholarship ride.

“Coach agreed to the plan, to everything I was saying,” Woodford said. “That’s all I needed to hear.”

The right academics and choices for majors as well as keeping his family from writing checks were the priorities.

“This is the best,” he said. “I can’t give up this opportunity.”

Mathis will be in Macon in three weeks when he’s inducted into the Georgia Sports Hall of Fame.

Morehouse certainly got a coup with the state’s No. 25 all-time rusher (6,282 yards), who is tied for 17th all-time in rushing touchdowns (88), as well as two of the top 21 single-season marks ( 2,728 yards in 2022 and 2,603 in 2024).

After all, he was listed entering his junior year by Sports Illustrated’s high school department as one of the 20 most underrated running backs in the country. The mid-season knee injury he suffered kept him on the underrated list, which he amazingly seemed to stay on despite a record-setting — for the Raiders as well — senior season.

During a conversation in December, he nodded to Wake Forest and Georgia Southern as those showing the most interest, along with the service academies.

He kept racking up yards in the state quarterfinal and semifinal, leading Northeast to the state championship game where he was stymied by a superb Toombs County defense focused on him, yet still managed 109 yards.

The phone wasn’t necessarily getting worn out. Then Wake Forest fired its staff, ending that connection. And suddenly, Georgia Southern’s running backs room was almost double digits, the Eagles losing only one back.

Georgia Southern and assistant coach Taylor Reed remained interested, but the offer had dropped to that of preferred walk-on status.

“I’m not trying to put my parents in that position,” Woodford said, “pay all those (fees).”

A few weeks ago, Walker contacted Woodford and the two planned to stay in touch.

Woodford wasn’t interested in making a decision to impress any outsiders, and was in no hurry to find the right fit. He could have graduated last semester and enrolled in college now, but wanted to get in better shape and improve his speed without the pressure of suddenly being a college football player and student.

Until he takes on those two new roles, though, he’ll keep studying as a honor-roll student and salutatorian, and add more to his knowledge of Morehouse, the school and team.

“No matter the different backs that I have to go against, I feel like I’m going to thrive,” he said. “I’m going to dominate, I’m going to be at my best.

“They had a (poor) football season last year. They were 1-9. That’s gonna change.”