Houston Texans head coach DeMeco Ryans had some high praise for his rookie running back after Saturday’s preseason game against the Panthers. Woody Marks, a fourth-round pick out of USC, only had three carries in the team’s first preseason match against the Vikings. But he broke out in a big way yesterday.
“I thought Woody definitely shined today,” Ryans said, after Marks ran seven times for 40 yards and added a reception. “[We] talked about playing a physical brand of football — Woody did that. He ran behind his pads really well, he finished through…. Like, man, running through four defenders, three defenders at a time and still falling forward. That’s what I expect from our backs and he did a really nice job of that.”
Ryans continued, “Just also with our backs, they’ve done a really nice job in pass protection: picking up the blitzes, think Jawhar [Jordan] had one, and we had a couple last week. But they’ve done a really nice job picking up the blitzes in protection and giving our quarterbacks time to finish the down.”
Woody Marks Faces a Crowded Houston Depth Chart at Running Back
Tim Warner/GettyHOUSTON, TEXAS – AUGUST 16: Davis Mills #10 of the Houston Texans hands off to Woody Marks #27 in the first half against the Carolina Panthers during the NFL Preseason 2025 game at NRG Stadium on August 16, 2025 in Houston, Texas. (Photo by Tim Warner/Getty Images)
No matter how good Marks continues to look in the preseason, he’ll face an uphill battle to get snaps at running back for Houston. Joe Mixon is the unquestioned starter after being acquired in a trade from the Bengals in the spring of 2024. He ran for 1,016 yards on 245 carries last year, scoring 12 total touchdowns and adding 309 yards through the air.
Behind Mixon, the Texans signed former Cleveland Browns star Nick Chubb. He suffered a gruesome knee injury in the second game of the 2023 that forced him to miss over a calendar year away from the football field. He did return to action midway through last season, though he was considerably less effective than he was prior, totaling just 332 yards on 102 carries. Houston hopes another year of recovery from that multi-ligament knee injury will help restore him to his old self.
2022 fourth-round pick Dameon Pierce is an effective between-the-tackles runner who gets work in the kick return game, as well. Dare Ogunbowale, older brother of WNBA star Arike Ogunbowale, is a quality third-down back and return specialist. He gets consistent work in relief of the Texans’ starter, though he role could be further diminished this year with the additions of Chubb and Marks. It would be almost unprecedented for an NFL team to carry five backs on their active roster, so Marks will likely need to beat out at least one player ahead of him to survive final roster cuts.
Woody Marks Was a Stud in College
The Mississippi State transfer broke out in a major way with the Trojans last year. Not only did he excel with 198 carries for 1,133 yards and nine touchdowns on the ground, but he added 47 catches for 321 yards as well. That versatility in the passing game is big for Marks, who can be used in both phases of the offense.
With Ryans praising the pass protection skills of Marks and other running backs, it might mean Marks can carve out a passing down role early in his career, possibly taking Ogunbowale’s job. It certainly gives him a better chance to earn an on-field role as a rookie.
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