Miami’s pursuit of 2027 receiver Eli Woodard just got more realistic.
Woodard, out of Chaparral High School in Temecula, California, decommitted from USC on Tuesday after pledging to the Trojans on Feb. 10. ESPN ranks him as the No. 245 overall prospect in the 2027 class, and Auburn, Cal, Georgia, Miami and UCLA expect to pursue him.
The Hurricanes offered Woodard in late April, and his recruitment changed fast. Just last week, he told Rivals that he felt “100 percent set on SC” after Miami’s offer. One week later, USC no longer holds his pledge.
On3’s USC site reported that Woodard wanted to take official visits and that USC would not bend on its no-visit policy for committed players. The same report mentioned buzz around Miami pushing for Woodard before his decision to reopen his recruitment.
That does not guarantee a Miami flip. It does, however, give Mario Cristobal and Kevin Beard a real shot to recruit one of the fastest-rising receivers in the 2027 cycle.
Woodard brings enough size at 6-foot and 185 pounds, and his junior year production explains the surge in attention. Athlon Sports credited Woodard with 51 receptions for 1,070 yards and 17 touchdowns in 12 games during the 2025 season.
When Woodard committed to USC, 247Sports Composite listed him as the No. 539 overall player and No. 70 wide receiver. Rivals later rated him as a four-star prospect, No. 168 overall and No. 24 among wide receivers.
That rise makes him more expensive from a recruiting standpoint, whether through attention, visits or NIL pressure. Miami has shown it will stay aggressive when it identifies a player who fits. Woodard now gives the Hurricanes a West Coast target with national competition and a recruitment that no longer runs through Los Angeles.
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