SIOUX FALLS — Jhace Woods was one of the first local standouts to get a scholarship offer from South Dakota State after the Dan Jackson regime took over for Jimmy Rogers, but the Sioux Falls Washington multi-sport standout took his time before accepting.
A speedy, 6-foot-2, 190-pound wide receiver, as well as an explosive wing on the basketball court and accomplished leaper on the track, Woods also accrued offers from the other three Dakota FCS teams and was drawing increased interest from area FBS schools.
But, Woods admitted shortly after announcing his commitment to SDSU on Tuesday, the Jackrabbits were the leading contenders for his services all along.
"It would've been pretty hard for another school to one-up them," the senior-to-be said. "It felt right as soon as I went there so it feels good to announce it. Their coaching staff is awesome. I felt like I could talk to them about anything, not just football. They just made me feel really comfortable right away. That really drew me in."
The son of former Augustana basketball great Laura Hensley, Woods caught 35 passes for 406 yards and nine touchdowns for the Warriors last fall after establishing himself as a weapon in 2023 as a sophomore. He's got deep threat speed and one of the highest verticals in the state, and Warriors coach Ryan Evans lauded his ball skills and work ethic.
"Jhace's presence impacts the play on the field no matter if he ends up with the ball or not," Evans said. "Jhace's ability to make a play on the ball is outstanding, but lost within many of his characteristics is his ability to block. He is a physical blocker and is willing to set the edge in the run game."
With his high-flying game on the basketball court, Woods had interest in playing Division I basketball as well as football. He said he only recently settled on football. His multitude of skills mean he could probably excel at a variety of positions but the Jacks like Woods right where he is at wide receiver.
That means he'll be joining a position group that already includes Metro products Jack Smith (Lincoln) and Landon Dulaney (Brandon Valley) and previously made a star out of Jefferson alum Griffin Wilde (now at Northwestern). And, by the way, Woods has a younger brother, Noah, who's already 6-foot-4 and dunking as an 8th-grader.
"I'm just super excited to be a Jackrabbit," Jhace Woods said. "The facilities are nice and I really like the indoor fields, too. But also just the culture there, it's something special and I really wanted to be a part of that."
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