NFF National Scholar-Athletes
Jackson Woodard, LB – UNLV
3.77 GPA – Kinesiology
Head Coach: Barry Odom | Athletics Director: Erick Harper
Faculty Athletics Representative: Dr. Tony Terrell
Recipient of General Robert R. Neyland Scholar-Athlete Award, Endowed by the Haslam Family Foundation
Building on an intense desire to win at everything, Jackson Woodard has excelled at the highest levels in the classroom while playing a significant role in the transformation of the UNLV football program the past two seasons. The Little Rock, Arkansas, native now becomes the first NFF National Scholar-Athlete in UNLV history.
A 2023 CSC First Team Academic All-American, the first in UNLV history, Woodard graduated in May after maintaining a 3.77 GPA in kinesiology. He is continuing his education by pursuing a graduate certificate. An Academic All-Mountain West pick in 2023, Woodward also made the SEC Academic Honor Roll while playing at Arkansas.
A two-year team captain at UNLV after transferring from Arkansas, Woodard helped lead the Rebels to their first winning season in more than a decade in 2023 with a 9-5 record and a 6-1 start in 2024, which ranks them first in the Mountain West. The 2023 season also marked only the third winning season for the Rebels since 1994 and the most win since 1984. The 2023 season included a share of the Mountain West Conference title and an appearance in the Guaranteed Rate Bowl, UNLV's first postseason bowl game since 2013. At Arkansas for three seasons, Woodard was part of the Razorback teams that won the 2022 Outback (with a final No. 21 ranking) and the 2022 Liberty bowls.
A walk-on for the Razorbacks in 2020, Woodard was awarded a scholarship at Arkansas in 2022 before transferring to UNLV in 2023. Woodard earned 2023 First Team All-Mountain West honors his first year in the conference, and he was named the 2023 Mountain West Defensive Newcomer of the Year. Woodard already tied a program record in being named MW Defensive Player of the Week three times through just seven games played this fall.
Woodard is currently tied for second in the nation with four interceptions and ranks second in the country with 12 passes defended. During his career to-date, Woodard has collected 195 tackles, 17.5 tackles for loss, 5.5 sacks, one fumble recovery, five interceptions and 18 passes defended. Woodard currently leads UNLV in tackles with 63, and he led the Rebels in 2023 with 117 tackles, which ranked second in the Mountain West, and he also led the team with nine tackles for loss, which placed him tied for ninth in the conference last season. During his three seasons in Fayetteville, Woodard appeared in 28 games overall, making 16 total tackles while playing defense and special teams.
Passionate about giving back to the community, Woodard participated in UNLV's Build-a-Bed Project, which provides beds for kids in Clark County who are sleeping on the floor or a couch. He was active in the community service activities surrounding the Super Bowl in Las Vegas last season, spending time with underprivileged youths at local schools in the area, and he raised funds for charities by hosting a youth football in camp in his hometown.
(All stats as of Oct. 23, 2024)
