Duke football picks up grad-transfer safety from Michigan
Duke is adding an experienced defensive back to its football roster.
J’Marick Woods, who graduated from Michigan this month, will enroll at Duke in January with two seasons of eligibility.
Woods played in 2017 and 2018 as a reserve safety with the Wolverines. He participated in four games this season before announcing in October he was entering the NCAA’s transfer portal. Because he only played in four games, he’s allowed to take a redshirt for this season. He’s eligible to play in 2020 and 2021 at Duke.
“The academics and the athletics definitely sold me, but what really got me was the family atmosphere,” Woods said Friday. “Hanging out with the players and coaches on my official visit this year, and even going back to my high school recruiting days, the connection was there. I definitely fit in at this great university.”
Rated a four-star recruit by ESPN and a three-star by 247sports.com out of Florence, Alabama in 2017, the 6-3, 210-pound Woods played in 27 games with one start for Michigan. Playing special teams, he blocked a punt in last season’s Peach Bowl for the Wolverines.
Duke, coming off a 5-7 season, loses senior starting safety Dylan Singleton from its defensive backfield. So there’s an opportunity for Woods to earn playing time immediately with the Blue Devils.