Former Alabama safety Peyton Woodyard leaning toward West Coast school

Alabama safety Peyton Woodyard officially entered the transfer portal on Monday night.

The top-150 prospect and four-star recruit in the 2024 class enrolled early this past winter with the Crimson Tide. Now back on the market and in the portal, multiple sources indicate to On3 that Oregon has emerged as the team to beat.

Woodyard entered with a do not contact tag on his portal entry, typically a sure sign an athlete has a good idea about where they will land. A return to the West Coast makes sense, too, for the the Bellflower, California, native.

Landing in the SEC is unlikely as he would not be eligible in the fall if his destination is another SEC school. If Woodyard wants to play as a true freshman, he will be committing to a program outside of the conference.

He enrolled early at Alabama and participated in bowl practices before going through drills this spring. The 6-foot-2, 188-pound freshman spent the spring working with the second-team defense and was one of 12 players to receive the Ozzie Newsome Most Improved Freshman Award.

Woodyard flipped from Georgia to Alabama in August 2023. His decision to flip to the Tide was big for Nick Saban’s final recruiting class, which finished with the second-ranked recruiting class in the country.

The Ducks were not a major factor in his recruitment, landing only two visits during the process. USC and Ohio State were viewed as threats to Alabama and Georgia. Oregon added four-star safeties in Aaron Flowers and Kingston Lopa in the 2024 class. Woodyard was the seventh-ranked recruit at his position.

The safety finished his high school career with 172 tackles and four interceptions. Oregon adds up on multiple fronts, giving Peyton Woodyard a chance to get closer to home and play early in his career.

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