It didn’t take long for AJ Woods to get picked up by an NFL team as he signs with the Washington Commanders.
Woods, a Germantown, Md. native, spent five seasons at Pitt where he quickly became immersed in the Panthers’ secondary.
After primarily playing on special teams in his true freshman campaign, Woods then made three starts at corner back in his sophomore season. He totaled 17 tackles, two pass break ups and an interception.
During his sophomore season, Woods was an instrumental piece in Pitt’s ACC Championship team. While he didn’t start a game until the Peach Bowl, he played in 13 total games as he recorded 27 tackles, seven pass breakups, an interception and a forced fumble.
Woods is most known for his highly-important interception in the ACC Championship game against Wake Forest where he took a Sam Hartman pick deep into Demon Decons’ territory with a 73-yard return – the longest in the championship game history. It set up a Pitt touchdown to go up by 17, en route to a 45-21 victory.
In 2022, Woods made five starts at cornerback where he totaled 28 tackles, a team-high 13 pass breakups and recorded an interception against Louisville.
After returning to the Panthers for his fifth season in 2023, he made five starts in 12 games as he registered 30 total tackles, 3.5 tackles for loss, two sacks, one interception and three pass breakups.
While Woods did not receive an invite to the NFL Combine, he did perform at Pitt Pro Day. There, he ran an unofficial 4.30 40-yard dash, a 6.61 3-cone drill and put up 16 reps on the bench press. He also recorded a 37.5 vertical and 10’5” broad jump.
He measured 5’10” and weighed in at 187 pounds with a 71 5/8” wingspan, along with a 30 4/8” arm length.
Woods’ performance at Pitt’s Pro Day was eye-opening and has led to the increased conversation about him landing with an NFL team.
“I would say the one guy that turned my head would be A.J. Woods,” Narduzzi said at Pitt Pro Day. “A.J. Woods had a great day, which I knew he would. Some guys are Pro Day guys out here that can run around the cones really good, but if you look at what he did out here today and then put the film on, A.J. Woods is a good football player.”
