Ryan Murken

Your Prep Sports

IOWA CITY – Pull up the profile for Mason Woods at any of the major college football recruiting sites and the position listed for the West High senior is ‘athlete’.

The ‘athlete’ tab is given to players with the potential to play a variety of positions at the collegiate level.

When it comes to Woods, an Iowa recruit who has lined up all over the field on both sides of the ball during his prep career, the athlete tab fits perfect.

“I’m open to do whatever they ask me to do but the conversations I’ve had with the coaches at Iowa they’ve said they are just going to let nature do it’s thing and where you end up is where you end up,” Woods explained. “Whether its wide receiver, tight end or linebacker or whatever.”

A uniquely-talented player, Woods has impacted the game from a variety of positions in his first two varsity seasons.

Woods has 54 career receptions for 927 yards and five touchdowns as a wide receiver and tight end and has 38.5 tackles and five interceptions as a defensive back and linebacker.

This season he is working at defensive end after making three tackles for loss and a sack in his time playing at the edge spot last season.

It is that positional flexibility that makes Woods one of the best players in the state and lands him in the ‘athlete’ category.

“I’m playing defensive end but I can be at safety if I need to, if they put me there I’d be fine so I feel like I can play everything,” Woods said. “My role, at least right now on defense is to get to the quarterback, but I will do anything on offense or defense.”

Woods will play anywhere he’s asked, this season or in the future at Iowa, but Woods isn’t shy about where he enjoys playing the most.

“I want to play offense. I like the ball in my hands I feel like that’s where I provide the best chance to succeed for my teams,” Woods said. “I just like having the ball in my hands.”

Offense just may be where Woods is at his best.

He caught a team-high 35 passes for 535 yards and three touchdowns last season while averaging 15.3 yards per reception.

Woods  averaged 25.7 yards per kick off return and is a threat to score anytime he touches the ball.

“I think naturally he’s more offensively inclined with his ball skills, his route running and his speed,” West High coach Garrett Hartwig said. “We are going to try to put him in different positions on the field, different alignments to give him opportunities. At the end of the day you have to let your best players make plays and get the ball in their hands.”

The 6-foot-2, 220-pound Woods has the rare combinations of size and speed, fluidity and explosiveness that drew a comparison to another West High standout from Hartwig.

“I think the comp I would make to him is Oliver Martin,” Hartwig said comparing Woods to the all-time leading receiver at West High. “The size and the explosiveness but then the hand-eye coordination on the offensive side of the ball. It’s unique to see a player of his size with that speed.”

What stands out perhaps most about Woods is his ability to play across the field.

Last season Woods had 17.5 tackles and two interceptions after making 21 stops with three picks as a sophomore while playing primarily safety.

This year Woods will move closer to the line of scrimmage which Hartwig believes will allow the 220-pounder to use his athleticism to impact the game even more.

“He has the physical strength to handle it but I think what’s going to stand out is his speed,” Hartwig said. “He will be able to make guys miss without even having to put a hand on them hopefully.

Woods made his college choice this summer, committing to Iowa where his father LeVar is the special teams coordinator, over a slew of collegiate offers.

“It’s a weight off my shoulders for sure,” Woods said. “I always said I wanted to do my own thing and then I ended up at Iowa. A lot of people think I’m doing it because of my dad but it’s just what I wanted to do.”

Now he is focused on helping West High improve on back-to-back 4-5 seasons and reaching the Class 5A playoffs for the first time in his career.

“I feel like we are hungry,” Woods said. “We don’t have to talk about it, we all know what we have to do.”

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