College Athlete Once Targeted by Deion Sanders’s Colorado Finally Granted Eligibility

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Colorado head coach Deion Sanders brought in 43 transfer portal players this year but fell short of landing a JUCO player. At the time, Texas State DL Devarrick Woods’ future in college football was uncertain, and he had applied for another year of eligibility. With that lingering doubt, Deion Sanders didn’t roll the dice with him. But now, his college future has got an added boost.

According to reports, Woods has been granted an extra year of eligibility to play college football. The NCAA announced its decision on April 23, and Woods shared it on his X account. “I have officially been granted my year of eligibility,” wrote Woods.

Woods, who comes from Bossier City, Louisiana, is recognized for his size, power, and production in the trenches. Although he was a low-ranked recruit out of high school, he still exceeded expectations in the 2021 class, playing ball at the JUCO level. Woods spent his 2023 and 2024 seasons at Hinds Community College in Raymond, Mississippi, and became a physically imposing lineman, earning All-MACCC First Team honors.

He notched 43 tackles, 7 TFLs, and 3 PBUs during his sophomore JUCO year, establishing himself as a prized ‘D1’ defensive lineman. Quickly, teams began to notice Woods, and he transferred to Texas State for the 2025 season. At the time, the team was one of the few D1 opportunities available, and Woods grabbed it quickly. At Texas State, the 6’3″, 290-pound beast quickly made an impact.

Woods appeared in 11 games, recording 16 tackles (9 solo) along with 2 TFLs and a sack. Although his numbers weren’t earth-shattering, teams quickly recognized the potential Woods had. Those performances earned him an impressive 74.2 PFF grade on 177 defensive snaps with 11 pressures and zero missed tackles. Because of Woods’ contributions, Texas State finished with a 7-6 record and even played in the Armed Forces Bowl.

Those kinds of performances and grades were enough for teams like Colorado and NC State. He left Texas State in 2026 in search of a better opportunity and entered the transfer portal in January. But that was also the time when he faced the ‘eligibility’ roadblock.

After entering the transfer portal, Woods took visits at NC State, and reports also linked him to Colorado. However, that didn’t quite materialize, and he hasn’t yet committed to a new school. Hopefully, with his eligibility news now, a school will quickly rope in Devarrick Woods’ services.

Colorado can still add Davarrick Woods

Deion Sanders, Colorado, finished with a woeful 3-win season last year, and much of the blame was on the defensive line. Against the run, Colorado became extremely vulnerable, surrendering a whopping 222.5 yards per game; only Eastern Michigan was worse. The defensive line featured players like Arden Walker, who led the team in sacks, and London Merritt.

“Defensively, we gave up 463 yards of total offense. They ran for 320 yards. You’re not going to win with those statistics,” Deion Sanders said after his loss to Georgia Tech last year. “Tried many things. We tried blitzing, trying to fill every gap, but we couldn’t get the job done. They were much more physical than we were. They were much more aggressive. At times, we made some plays. We should have capitalized on some of the plays we made. Now we’re playing catch-up.”

Colorado is without a pass-rush coordinator after Warren Sapp resigned in February. However, since Sanders has promoted Chris Marve to defensive coordinator and Dante Carter to defensive line coach from within, he now appears to be taking a more hands-on approach. He has also brought in 6 defensive linemen from the portal, in addition to his 4 edge rusher additions. In all, the team is coming with renewed energy. But now that Devarrick Woods has an extra year of eligibility, will he finally roll the dice with him as a depth piece?

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