Sports
Woody Marks finally getting the chance to unleash his total skill set at USC
As Woody Marks weighed his football future last winter, Darren Myles was frank with his former running back. His body of work, he told Marks, was an incomplete picture of the player Myles knew he could be. Four seasons at Mississippi State, playing in Mike Leach’s pass-happy Air Raid offense, proved Marks could catch passes out of the backfield. But he was typecast in the eyes of NFL scouts as a third-down, change-of-pace player, incapable of carrying the load as a bruising back running between the tackles.
His high school coach knew better than that. Myles had seen it during four years at Carver High in Atlanta. He watched as Marks stepped in as the starter before his first game as a freshman, taking the place of a senior who missed practice and never relinquishing the role.
During 43 games at Carver, Marks carried the offense on his back, toting the ball 614 times for 10 yards per carry. As a sophomore, he tallied 13 consecutive 100-yard games. As a senior, he scored 23 touchdowns. Never did he catch more than a pass or two per game.
So the notion that Marks was pigeonholed as a pass catcher or seen as anything less than a three-down workhorse didn’t sit well with Myles. His advice? Find an offense where you could prove who you are.
Marks seems to have found that and then some at USC, where he’s already established himself as one of the Big Ten’s most complete backs. Through five games, Marks has carried the ball 81 times, sixth most of any running back in the conference. At his current pace — more than 16 per game — he’s likely to break his career high in carries before the end of October.
That hasn’t precluded him from being a pass catcher, either. Marks is third on the team in catches with 19, just two fewer than the Trojans’ top two receivers.
“He’s been exactly what we’d hoped he’d be at this point,” coach Lincoln Riley said.
That feeling, his mother says, is mutual.
“He looks just like he did in high school,” Tameka Marks said. “He’s showcasing it again, what he didn’t get to showcase the last four years at Mississippi State — that he can actually run!”
USC running back Woody Marks runs through Utah State safety Jordan Vincent to score a touchdown at the Coliseum on Sept. 7.
(Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)
Myles knew that to be true before Marks made it to high school. He was only 13 years old, still in the eighth grade, and weighed barely 155 pounds, but Myles, a former running back himself, could see Marks was a natural. He had the vision, the quickness, the instincts. Most of all, he was fearless. Even at his size, there wasn’t a tentative bone in his body.
After four practices, Myles approached Tameka to tell her Woody probably would factor into the varsity roster as a freshman. By the first week of football season the following fall, Marks already was the focal point of Carver’s offense. The promotion had come after the senior incumbent missed a mandatory practice during fall break. Marks ran for 145 yards and two touchdowns in his stead.
“Right away, I moved that kid to slot receiver,” Myles said. “Like, you’re gonna back up Woody Marks now.”
Marks averaged 12 yards per carry as a freshman, yet was limited to fewer than 10 carries per game as Myles spread the ball around in Carver’s offense. But by the end of that season, Myles said, Marks had mastered the zone-run concepts at the heart of his offense, and as a sophomore, he exploded for 2,127 yards in 13 games.
USC running back Woody Marks celebrates after scoring the winning touchdown against LSU on Sept. 1.
(Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)
By then, Myles knew he could lean on Marks, if needed. He rarely received more than 20 carries in a game, but in consecutive playoff wins over Jones High and Flowery Branch, Marks put the offense on his back, tallying more than 200 yards rushing.
“Once he got past the linebacker, it was over,” Myles said. “You talk about having a running back with wide receiver speed. Once he gets to the second level, he’s gone. You’re not catching him.”
Offers rolled in from across the country — everywhere, it seemed, but Georgia, the local college football power, whose staff had asked Myles if Marks would consider changing to slot receiver.
“It bothered him,” Myles said. “But it motivated him to work even harder.”
And with more work, Myles trusted Marks even more to carry them.
During one game, as a senior, Carver lost its quarterback to a hip-pointer injury. With only an inexperienced freshman left at the position, Myles pivoted to run the entire offense through Marks.
For the second half, nearly every play went through the running back, who even lined up for some direct snaps as a wildcat quarterback. By then, the defense knew what was coming most plays. Inside zone. Outside zone. Inside zone. And on and on.
“They were stacking the box,” Myles said. “It didn’t matter.”
USC running back Woody Marks drags LSU safety Dashawn Spears into the end zone for a touchdown on Sept. 1.
(Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)
Marks committed to Mississippi State about eight months before the coach he committed to, Joe Moorhead, was fired. Into his place stepped Leach, whose reputation for largely ignoring the run preceded him. The family weighed whether Marks would be better suited elsewhere. But he’d already made his pledge. He stuck with it.
And over four years at Mississippi State, three of which were under Leach, Marks never rushed for more than 582 yards in a season. In 45 games, he received more than a dozen carries just eight times and only twice ran for more than 100 yards.
Losing Leach, who died suddenly in late 2022, only muddied Marks’ role. He considered transferring but ultimately chose to stay in Starkville. Then a hamstring injury late in the 2023 season sapped Marks of his usual burst.
If not for the injury, he might’ve declared for the draft right then, his mother said. Prospective agents told them he’d be picked in the middle rounds, perhaps as high as the third. But they wondered if another year, in the right offense, might alter that trajectory.
Several schools had the same thought, among them Georgia, which apparently had gotten over its hang-ups about Marks’ size. But the fit with Riley, an Air Raid protege of Leach, felt seamless. Marks already was familiar with most of the offense’s zone-run concepts.
“He’s been doing those things since he was 13 years old,” Myles said.
It’s no wonder then that his impact at USC has been so instantaneous. Marks already has more 100-yard games (three) at USC than he did in all of his time at Mississippi State. And as defenses have tried to take away dynamic plays downfield, he’s been called upon even more, having touched the ball 47 times over the last two games.
“Everything [Riley] told us about how he would use him,” Tameka said, “we’re seeing it every game.”
Marks’ role actually could stand to grow from here, with Big Ten defenses daring Riley to run, sure to follow a similar blueprint to what worked for Minnesota last Saturday. Marks was on his way to a career day until the final 11 minutes, when he didn’t touch the ball a single time.
Nonetheless, there’s no doubt at USC that it has a three-down back at its disposal, one capable of grinding away Big Ten games in a way it desperately will need down the stretch.
Though, Marks isn’t sure he’s lived up to that just billing yet.
“I really think I haven’t proven a lot,” Marks said. “We hold ourselves to a higher standard. We’re going to get to that.”
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Napoleon Solo took home the 2026 Preakness Stakes on Saturday, the 151st running of the race.
The favorite in Taj Mahal, the 1 horse, was in the lead from the start until the final turn until Napoleon Solo made his move on the outside and took the lead at the top of the stretch. As Taj Mahal fell off, Iron Honor, the 9 horse, snuck up, but the effort ultimately was not enough.
Napoleon Solo opened at 8-1 and closed at 7-1. Iron Honor, at 8-1, finished second, with Chip Honcho fishing third after closing at 11-1. Ocelli, one of just three horses to run both the Kentucky Derby two weeks ago and Saturday’s Preakness, finished fourth at 8-1.
A Preakness branded starting gate is seen on track prior to the 151st Preakness Stakes at Laurel Park on May 16, 2026 in Laurel, Maryland. For the first and only time, Laurel Park is hosting the Preakness Stakes which is the second race of the Triple Crown jewel due to the traditional home of the race of the Pimlico Race Course undergoing complete renovations. (Patrick Smith/Getty Images)
A $1 exacta paid out $53.60, while a $1 trifecta brought in $597.10. But someone out there is very lucky, as a $1 superhighfive – picking the top-five finishers in order – paid out $12,015.70.
Even moreso, a 20-cent Pick 6 – picking the winners of the six consecutive races, with the final being the Preakness, paid out $33,842.34.
The race was run without the Kentucky Derby winner for the second year in a row. After Sovereignty did not run the Preakness last year – and wound up winning the Belmont Stakes – the training team of Golden Tempo opted to skip the Maryland race.
From 1960 to 2018, only three Derby winners did not run in the Preakness. Three Derby winners have skipped the Preakness in the last five years, and for the sixth time in eight years, for various reasons, the Triple Crown had already been impossible to accomplish by the time the Preakness even rolled around.
“I understand that fans of the sport or fans of the Triple Crown are disappointed, but the horse is not a machine,” Golden Tempo’s trainer, Cherie DeVaux, told Fox News Digital earlier this week.
Paco Lopez, right, atop Napoleon Solo, edges out Iron Honor, ridden by Flavien Prat, to win the 151st running of the Preakness Stakes horse race, Friday, May 15, 2026, at Laurel Park in Laurel, Maryland. (AP Photo/Stephanie Scarbrough)
CHERIE DEVAUX REFLECTS ON MAKING KENTUCKY DERBY HISTORY AS FIRST FEMALE TRAINER TO WIN THE RACE
Only three horses from two weeks ago – Ocelli, Robusta, and Incredibolt, were back at the Preakness. Corona de Oro, the 11 horse on Saturday, was scratched well ahead of the Derby, and Great White, who reared up and fell on his back after becoming startled shortly before entering the Derby gate, took the 13 post on Saturday.
The Preakness went off roughly 24 hours after a horse died following the completion of his very first race.
Hit Zero, trained by Brittany Russell, came into the race as the favorite. However, he finished last in the race, which was won by another one of Russell’s horses, Bold Fact — and upon crossing the finish line, Hit Zero reportedly began coughing, dropped to his knees, then put his head down and died.
The Preakness took place at Laurel Park as Pimlico undergoes renovations. It was the first time ever that Pimlico did not host the race, moving roughly 20 miles south.
Paco Lopez, atop Napoleon Solo, wins the 151st running of the Preakness Stakes horse race, Friday, May 15, 2026, at Laurel Park in Laurel, Maryland. (AP Photo/Stephanie Scarbrough)
The Belmont Stakes, the final Triple Crown race, will take place on June 6. The race will return to Saratoga for a third year in a row as Belmont Park continues to be renovated.
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HIGH SCHOOL BOYS VOLLEYBALL
CITY SECTION FINALS
FRIDAY
At Birmingham
DIVISION I
#1 Taft d. #3 Cleveland, 25-23, 25-14, 25-21
DIVISION IV
#7 Maywood CES d. #4 Math & Science College Prep, 25-17, 25-17, 25-23
At Venice
DIVISION II
#4 Marquez d. #6 Narbonne, 23-25, 25-19, 29-27, 25-16
DIVISION III
#13 Birmingham d. #2 Legacy, 25-20, 17-25, 31-33, 25-21, 15-10
SATURDAY
At Birmingham
OPEN DIVISION
#3 Chatsworth d. #1 Granada Hills, 24-26, 25-21, 25-14, 25-18
DIVISION V
314 Franklin d. #13 Rancho Dominguez, 25-18, 25-19, 25-16
SOUTHERN SECTION FINALS
THURSDAY
At Home Sites
DIVISION 9
Vasquez d. Tarbut V’ Torah, 25-19, 22-25, 25-21, 19-25, 15-10
FRIDAY
At Cerritos College
DIVISION 1
#1 Mira Costa d. #3 Loyola, 25-21, 25-22, 25-22
DIVISION 4
Sunny Hills d. Royal, 24-26, 25-22, 27-25, 25-23
At Home Sites
DIVISION 5
Bishop Diego d. St. Anthony, 25-19, 25-19, 23-25, 25-23
DIVISION 8
Temescal Canyon d. West Valley, 24-26, 25-16, 25-19, 25-23
SATURDAY
At Cerritos College
DIVISION 2
Orange Lutheran d. Edison, 3-1
DIVISION 3
Windward d. St, John Bosco, 24-26, 25–21, 25-22, 25-20
DIVISION 6
Culver City d. Garden Grove, 27-25, 25-20, 19-25, 21-25, 15-9
Sports
It’s Game 7, and we have a bet locked in as the Cavaliers and legacies are on the line against the Pistons
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The NBA takes a lot of flak for having meaningless games, and I can definitely understand it, watching on a random Wednesday in January. However, the playoffs have delivered over and over to viewers and rewarded us for putting up with garbage regular-season games.
This will be the fourth Game 7 of the playoffs. Three series have been sweeps, and the other three have been six games. That shows competitive hoops. Now, how do we bet this Game 7 in the Eastern Conference?
The Cleveland Cavaliers blew it. After not winning a road game all postseason, they took Game 5 in surprising fashion. It looked like they were going to win in six games. After all, they hadn’t lost a game at home in the postseason.
Instead, Detroit came out and blitzed the Cavs, never giving them a chance to get their footing. They lost in an ugly fashion and now have to figure out a way to win a game on the road.
Cleveland Cavaliers guard James Harden drives to the basket against the Detroit Pistons during the second half of Game 5 in the second-round NBA playoffs in Detroit on May 13, 2026. (Duane Burleson/AP)
It isn’t just the Cavs’ fate that rests in this game. It is also the legacy of James Harden and, to a lesser extent, Donovan Mitchell.
We know that Mitchell is a very good player, but he isn’t regarded as one of the best players ever. Harden is. Unfortunately, Harden has struggled in Game 7s. He’s averaged 19.1 points, 7.3 assists and 5.8 rebounds. That’s not terrible, but looking at his shooting percentages, he is at 35.3% and 22.2% in those games. He actually is 4-4 overall in the games, but in his past three, he has scored a combined 34 points over 113 minutes.
The Detroit Pistons seem to like playing with their backs against the wall. They are a gritty team, so I suppose it makes sense.
Detroit Pistons’ Jalen Duren reacts after allowing a pass to go out of bounds in the second half of Game 4 of the second-round NBA playoff series against the Cleveland Cavaliers in Cleveland on May 11, 2026. (Sue Ogrocki/AP)
Cade Cunningham continues to deliver for the team, and he finally got some help in Game 6 from Jalen Duren. This was never going to be an easy series for Duren, but it feels like he is taking more time to mature than others. He definitely improved this year, but the consistency they need from him just isn’t there yet.
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Now as the team goes home they will need Duren to be a beast on the glass. If he can keep the Pistons in the rebounding battle, they should win this game with ease. They won Game 6 by just three rebounds, but that takes away a big dimension of what Jarrett Allen and Evan Mobley do for the Cavs. It isn’t everything, though, as the Pistons won the rebounding battle in both losses in Cleveland.
I don’t see this being a runaway game for the Pistons. Mitchell and Cunningham likely will cancel each other out with scoring. Harden needs to establish himself as the third-best player on the floor. I haven’t seen him do that in the postseason, yet.
Cleveland Cavaliers All-Stars Donovan Mitchell and James Harden talk during Game 2 in the first round of the 2026 NBA Playoffs vs. the Toronto Raptors at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse in Ohio. (David Dermer/Imagn Images)
This is the second Game 7 of the playoffs for both of the clubs, so it isn’t like either will be caught off guard about what this entails.
If I look at it objectively, I think the Cavs have the better players. However, the Pistons have looked significantly better this season, and definitely in the playoffs overall. Both are prone to issues and slipping. The Cavs shouldn’t be as they are a veteran team.
This game has to be won by Cleveland, though. There is too much riding on the franchise and legacies of guys for them to not prepare properly for it. Maybe that’s weak analysis, but I’m taking the Cavs with the points and I do think they win outright. I expect a monster game from Mitchell, and Harden should get 10+ assists.
Either way, whoever wins will lose to the New York Knicks.
For more sports betting information and plays, follow David on X/Twitter: @futureprez2024
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