LSU signs PJ Woodland, Mississippi's MaxPreps Player of the Year

Hattiesburg (Miss.) athlete PJ Woodland is officially an LSU Tiger after signing with the program on Wednesday.

After committing to Mississippi State in the summer, Woodland reversed course following a visit to Baton Rouge in October.

The Oak Grove standout was in Tiger Stadium for LSU’s 30-point win over Auburn, and the following day he announced he was reopening his recruitment.

After initially planning to visit Tuscaloosa for the Tennessee vs. Alabama, Woodland elected to shuffle up those plans and head to Baton Rouge for a second game in a row.

Seven days after backing off his commitment to the Bulldogs, Woodland announced his decision to commit to LSU as a cornerback in the 2024 cycle.

Two months later, Woodland stood by his pledge to LSU and signed with the Tigers.

“It means everything to me,” Woodland told On3. “It’s a blessing to be in this position and I’m grateful to continue to be playing football at an excellent program. Why not go to ‘DBU’ when you play DB?”

On3 breaks down what LSU’s getting in Woodland

LSU commitment PJ Woodland is one of four cornerbacks the Tigers landed from the high school pool of prospects in the 2024 class.

The Mississippi native was a standout at Oak Grove over the past three seasons, capping off a stellar high school career with a state title, the Class 7A Defensive Player of the Year and MaxPreps Mississippi Player of the Year.

What should LSU fans expect out of the Hattiesburg native as the Tigers look to rebuild the defensive back room through high school signees and development?

On3 Director of Scouting and Rankings Charles Power was on hand for the Mississippi-Alabama game practice sessions this week, which gave him another in-person look at Woodland.

“Woodland drew first-team reps for Mississippi on Tuesday evening,” Power said. “He’s a feisty, active corner who breaks on the ball quickly. Woodland has a thin build and will need considerable time in the weight room and at the training table.”

Woodland has time to develop his frame once he enters LSU’s strength-and-conditioning program, and his production at the high school level points to a prospect with upside as he makes the move to SEC football.

Woodland had 1,380 yards and 13 touchdowns as a wide receiver at Oak Grove this past season, and he helped knock off Starkville to win a state title as a senior. Woodland logged 50-plus tackles, eight passes defended, five interception and three tackles for loss on the season.

During his three-years on the field with the Warriors, Woodland had 160-plus tackles, 25-plus passes defended, 17 interceptions, 20-plus touchdowns, six tackles for loss, four interceptions returned for touchdowns and 1,642 total yards on offense.

On3 National Scout Cody Bellaire was able to watch film of every game Woodland played in this season, and he offered up hi thoughts on what the South Mississippi cornerback will bring to Baton Rouge.

“Woodland is a versatile defensive back whose home will more than likely be nickel or field corner at the next level due to his size and fluidity,” Bellaire said. “At nearly 6’0, 160 pounds, Woodland has a leaner athletic frame that allows him to be smooth in his transition and flip his hips with ease. He’s a very technically sound player in man coverage, sticky and consistently on receivers hips. He also has willingness as a run defender and is a physical player despite his frame. He has the ability to play as a safety as well manning up in the slot, playing underneath zone as a hang defender or as a deep-half cover 2 safety.

“The top-end speed is solid, not a true burner but he can cover most of the field comfortably. Woodland plays faster than he times due to his quick trigger and ability to diagnose and process quickly.”

LSU also has commitments from Louisiana cornerbacks Ju’Juan Johnson, Bernard Causey and Wallace Foster, and Bellaire said the group has some shared traits as the Tigers add four high school signees to the cornerback room during next week’s Early Signing Period.

“Woodland is similar to some of the other defensive backs in this 2024 LSU class in the sense that he has some versatility to his game,” Bellaire said. “I could see a world in which Foster, Johnson and Woodland compete for the nickel job in the future. But you could make the same argument for the two safety positions and say you could see Woodland, Johnson, Joel Rogers and Dashawn McBryde all fighting for those two spots as well.

“But, Woodland stands out from most of the other defensive backs with his floor. He’s quite technically proficient at this point in his career and is one of the more ready-made prospects in this 2024 defensive back commitment group for LSU. However, the ceiling is limited due to his size and top-end athleticism in comparison to someone like McBryde, who has one of the higher ceilings of any current LSU commit.

“All in all, this is a player who is technically sound in man and zone coverage and is a willing player in run support. Is the most physically imposing? No. Is he the most athletic guy on the board? No. But is he a good football player? Absolutely.”