What Blake Woodby brings to Ohio State's 2025 class: 'That upside, it's pretty big'

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Fri, Oct 20, 2023, 12:08 PM·4 min read

St. Francis Academy football coach Messay Hailemariam says that Blake Woodby was always different.

Hailemariam remembers Woodby hanging around his football program in Baltimore as a seventh grader, showcasing his upside when he lined up to compete against players older, bigger, faster and stronger than he was.

From that moment, Hailemariam thought Woodby was destined to play high-level Division I football. And when Woodby began playing high school football, he met all of Hailemariam’s expectations.

“He was tenacious, competitive,” Hailemariam said. "He was fast and athletic. He was instinctive. He really learned the game at a young age. He was exactly like I thought he was going to be. What I didn’t anticipate was that physically he was able to match up with the players the way he did.”

Hailemariam said Woodby always knew what he could do at the next level. Woodby was only waiting for the right school to give him the chance.

“He always considered himself a Buckeye,” Hailemariam said. “He was just waiting to see if that was a possibility.”

Ohio State made that “possibility” a reality Dec. 12 with an offer. And Woodby ended his commitment Oct. 14, joining the Buckeyes’ 2025 recruiting class as a four-star cornerback.

I was born two-months early, but I was right on time. Born ready 😤 Now I’m ready to share my commitment to THE Ohio State. Go Bucks! @OhioStateFB #BIA 🅾️🌰 pic.twitter.com/NHtJQzSe5A
— Blake “Bobble” Woodby (@blake_woodby) October 15, 2023

After Jontae Gilbert ended his commitment to Ohio State in July, Woodby became Ohio State’s first defensive commit in the 2025 class, joining four-star quarterback Tavien St. Clair and four-star wide receiver Jayvan Boggs.

Woodby, a 5-foot-11, 180-pound cornerback, is ranked as the No. 86 player in the country according to 247Sports’ composite rankings. He is the No. 12 cornerback and third-ranked player in the state of Maryland.

Woodby’s brother, Tyrin Woodby, was a three-star safety in the 2022 class, committing to West Virginia before transferring to Morgan State in 2023.

Why Ohio State wanted 2025 cornerback Blake Woodby

Hailemariam said that what separates Blake Woodby is his success as both a cornerback and as a wide receiver, which has helped raise his football IQ and helped him become a better defensive back.

“So one of the things that is awesome is that he loves and understands the game at a high level playing both sides of the ball,” Hailemariam said. “He has world-class speed… so his speed is ridiculous. You add the speed and the instinct and athleticism, that upside, it’s pretty big.”

But Hailemariam said it’s Woodby’s leadership that makes him special, becoming a captain for the football team as a sophomore: the youngest in the program’s history.

“Football is such a fine line between engaging and having your teammates buy into who you are as well as separating yourself to show them what it’s like to be the example,” Hailemariam said. “Putting the B.S. aside and allowing yourself to be… a guy that’s different than the average player.”

Aug 4, 2022; Columbus, OH, USA; Ohio State Buckeyes secondary coach Tim Walton leads his players in drills during the first fall football practice at the Woody Hayes Athletic Center. Mandatory Credit: Adam Cairns-The Columbus Dispatch

Once Woodby landed on Ohio State’s radar, Hailemariam said Ohio State wanted the 2025 cornerback badly, saying Ryan Day, Tim Walton, Larry Johnson and the rest of the coaching staff thought Woodby could “come in and be a force.”

Hailemariam thinks Woodby will be ready to “be a force,” coming from a program, the St. Francis coach said, was “as close as we can get” to what college football is like.

“That type of program, it’s fast-paced, it’s every day, it’s a commitment… the day starts early and it ends late,” Hailemariam said. “Blake is in a position or at least in the business of understanding what it’s going to be like for him. His commitment is so big that he will excel in that type of environment.”

With another year at St. Francis to go, Hailemariam’s plan for Woodby is simple: to do what he has already been doing.

“Just want to make sure he’s big enough, strong enough,” Hailemariam said. “And then, by the grace of God, he has a healthy career. Once those three things are in place, I think he’s set up to really do well and be a high-impact player at that level.”