USC Football News: Woody Marks Named Starting Running Back for Trojans

USC head coach Lincoln Riley has announced Woody Marks as the starting running back for the Trojans in the upcoming season, marking a notable change in the team's offensive approach. Marks, who joins USC as a transfer from Mississippi State, brings significant experience and versatility to the position.

In discussing his decision, Riley told the press , “It’s always the toughest one to evaluate because you’re not going a million live snaps, and that’s one of those positions, it’s a little tough to eval when it’s not straight live. But I think Woody asserted himself as the starter.”

Marks accumulated over 3,100 scrimmage yards and 27 touchdowns during his tenure at Mississippi State. Despite limited appearances last season, he managed to average 63.7 rushing yards per game, demonstrating his capability as both a rusher and a receiver.

Riley is optimistic about the running back depth, which also includes redshirt freshman Quinten Joyner. “Quinten is certainly firmly in the mix and will certainly get an opportunity to play a bunch,” Riley stated. “And we like the other two quite a bit. I can absolutely see a scenario for both A’Marion [Peterson] and Bryan Jackson contributing majorly to this team. We feel very good about those four. We feel like we have four contributors. And we know, if history is any indication, we’re going to need them all at some point.

But right now Woody and Quinten have, at least at this point, separated themselves as the 1 and 2.”

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Following a disappointing year for USC’s rushing attack, Marks is expected to play a crucial role in revitalizing the ground game and providing a more balanced offensive strategy for 2024.