Charles Woods

Early life

Woods was born on June 17, 2000, in Dallas, Texas. He attended Justin F. Kimball High School in Dallas, participating in football, basketball and track and field. With the football team, he was a second-team all-district selection as a junior and a first-team choice as a senior, finishing his senior year with 35 receptions for 678 yards, 27 carries for 148 yards, and a total of 16 touchdowns. He committed to play college football for the Illinois State Redbirds, being a no-star recruit.

College career

Woods, a defensive back in college, appeared in 11 games, three as a starter, as a freshman in 2018, totaling 16 tackles. He then started all 15 games in 2019 and was named honorable mention FCS Sophomore All-American by HERO Sports, having finished the season with 48 tackles, four interceptions and a mark of 17 passes defended that placed second in the Missouri Valley Football Conference (MVFC). He started all four games in the COVID-19-shortened 2020 season, posting 20 tackles along with two interceptions. He announced that he was leaving the school following the 2020 season.

Woods initially opted to transfer to the SMU Mustangs, but later flipped his commitment to the West Virginia Mountaineers. In his first year with the Mountaineers, 2021, he totaled 31 tackles, two interceptions, and two fumble recoveries. He opted to redshirt in 2022 and appeared in four games, three as a starter, recording seven solo tackles. He opted to transfer again after the 2022 season for his final year of eligibility, eventually choosing to commit to the SMU Mustangs, which he had been committed to for a time before joining the Mountaineers. In his lone year with the Mustangs, Woods started all 14 games, posting 27 tackles and a team-leading 11 pass breakups while being named third-team All-American Athletic Conference (AAC).