Doubling down on players from the same school seemed to be a trend for Nick Caserio in 2025.

After trading down nine spots and out of the first round Thursday night, the Houston Texans finally bolstered their passing attack by selecting Iowa State wide receiver Jayden Higgins with the 34th overall pick in the 2025 NFL draft. Midway through the third round, his counterpart from Ames remained on the board, so general manager Nick Caserio ensured that Houston grabbed fellow Iowa State star Jaylin Noel.

With the next selection, USC defensive back Jaylin Smith reunited with former Trojan Calen Bullock in the Texans‘ secondary. After that, the Texans jumped back into Round 4 by trading a 2026 third-round pick to the Miami Dolphins in exchange for pick No. 166, which was used on USC running back Woody Marks.

A former starter at Mississippi State, Marks transferred to Pasadena this offseason for a fresh start in a new offense. It ended up being the best thing for both sides as the Trojans secured a victory in the Las Vegas Bowl over Texas A&M to cap off their season.

Marks, who is still coming into his own as a runner, finished with a career-high 1,133 rushing yards and nine TDs while averaging 5.7 yards an attempt. Where the 5-foot-10 runner will be useful early in his career is the receiving game. Over his seasons in college football, Marks totaled 261 receptions for 1,546 yards and five TDs.

Here’s a quick rundown on Marks:

The Basics

Height: 5-foot-10

Weight: 206 pounds

Age: 24

From: Atlanta, Ga.

Breakdown

“Houston dealt with a slew of injuries in the backfield last season, so investing in the position in a deep class has merit, especially as starter Joe Mixon enters his age-29 season. Marks is a good but not great athlete but offers a lot as a receiver out of the backfield. He’s the oldest running back in the class, though.” — Ayrton Ostly

Lance Zierlein’s Scouting Report

“Marks balances patience with decisiveness, setting blocks into defenders and then bursting past the collision. He glides through lanes with good vision and enough shake to create missed tackles over the first two levels. He lacks breakaway speed in the open field and contact power between the tackles. He’s highly experienced and has sure hands as a pass catcher, with the ability to elude the first tackler in space. Marks projects as a slashing complementary back capable of finding yardage and adding value on passing downs.”

What Texans HC DeMeco Ryans Said

“Really like Woody and what he’s able to provide. Really like him out of the backfield catching the football. Really great hands. Really has that ability to make guys miss at the line of scrimmage and the ability to play behind his pads, play physical. So, like the addition of him to our running back room.”

RAS ScoreGrade: B-

“From a scheme standpoint, this is a great fit. Marks’ receiving skills should make him the easy No. 2 option in Caley’s system behind Mixon and can be a nice change-of-pace runner. He lacks breakaway speed in the open field but makes up for it by using a lower center of gravity to push ahead to play through contact. He’ll be a nice complementary back capable of finding yardage and value on third downs. The only reason why its underwhelming is the asking price. Giving up a top 100 picks is always costly.” – Texans Wire’s Cole Thompson

Highlights

First Interview