October is shaping up to be a busy recruiting period for the Friars, and Brandon Woodard is one of their key 2027 recruits visiting during this month. Woodard, the Bishop McNamara product from the DMV who also plays for Team Durant on the AAU circuit, has set up four visits in the fall, with the Friars joining Mississippi State, Rutgers, and the local Georgetown Hoyas. Oklahoma State is also heavily in the mix.
Bryan Hodgson has shown an appetite to add versatile wing pieces as the focal point and core of his roster (see Pate, Byrd, Walters, Mela as perfect examples of Swiss Army knives), and Woodard fits the billing. Hodgson wants chess pieces offensively and defensively that can guard multiple positions on defense and play inside and outside from the 3/4 position.
We break down his game, fit with Friars, and recruitment below.
Recruiting Profile
Woodard is a 6’8 big wing/small ball four at 210 pounds. He is 75th overall player in the 2027 class, 4 star, and #2 player in Maryland.
His three other visits are set up in September. Providence has that final visit, but it is a month later. Hodgson and staff have to ensure that Woodard doesn’t make a decision before that October official visit weekend.
Being from Maryland, you’d think the local Hoyas have the inside track here, but the program has struggled so mightily from a performance and fan attendance perspective that he may not be leaning their way.
I’m also pleasantly surprised to see no serious Maryland Terrapin and Villanova Wildcat involvement, and I’m hopeful it stays that way.
Play Style
Woodard is the new blend of forward that has the size and build of a 3/4, but has elite athleticism to pair with his frontcourt size. Woodard is a very springy athlete and plays well above the rim. The prototype is Brandon Miller, and you see similarities in the way both are plus sized athletes with a pogo stick for a vertical.
Woodard also shows the ability to handle the rock in the open court and half court set. Nobody will ever confuse his handle for that of a high level point guard, but he is comfortable with the ball in his hands and is fluid in the open court which makes for a really tough guard.
Woodard is going to be a terror in college in the open court because he can run and jump and won’t get exposed in transition because of a lack of comfort in that environment. He’s going to be a plus rebounder and will be good for one or two putback slam highlight reel plays a game.
His length defensively is going to cause havoc by getting into passing lanes and deflecting the basketball from his man he is guarding or cheating on the help side. He’ll also be able to use his athletic ability to defend the rim.
While I think he isn’t ready to guard the more “traditional” four man (think 6’8 240lb types) who can bully him in the paint and back him down, he can be a good help side defender who alters and blocks shots at the rim.
Where he can improve the most is by developing a nuanced offensive game in the half-court. I think a lot of his early production is going to be off athleticism and hustle/energy type plays, and I want to be able to see him create offense on his own in a structured offense. That’s probably the next stage of his development, in my opinion.
Fit With Hodgson
It may just be the movement to positionless basketball that is all the rage, but I have been surprised with the number of offers Hodgson and staff have thrown out to these 6’6-6’8 wing types that can offensively and defensively play the 2-4. I am a fan of how Hodgson is seemingly building the core of his roster around this type of player because it gives him a few chess pieces when it comes to game planning. My mind weirdly goes to Greg Gantt and how his career trajectory is probably vastly different if Hodgson had an athlete and wing like him to mold and develop, but I digress…
Woodard would pair nicely with similar wingtypes in Clyde Walters and Ryan Mela and would stock the cupboard in the wing room quite nicely after Providence presumably loses Dink Pate alongside Miles Byrd after this season.
Woodard, Walters, and Mela would give Hodgson three pieces to play at the 3, with the option depending on game strategy to slide them to the 4. At the end of the day, you add talent with size and length and see how it all comes together. It is a great problem to have.
Go Friars!
Providence Crier Recruiting Articles
Declan Griffiths – https://theprovidencecrier.com/2026/08/24/crier-recruiting-corner-introducing-2027-small-forward-declan-griffiths/#more-14026
Micah Gordon – https://theprovidencecrier.com/2026/08/24/crier-recruiting-corner-introducing-2027-point-guard-micah-gordon/#more-14036
Asa Montgomery – https://theprovidencecrier.com/2026/08/24/crier-recruiting-corner-introducing-2027-wing-asa-montgomery/
Dylan Jones – https://theprovidencecrier.com/2026/07/16/crier-recruiting-corner-introducing-2027-wing-dylan-jones/
Carson Crawford – https://theprovidencecrier.com/2026/06/23/crier-recruiting-corner-introducing-2027-small-forward-carson-crawford/
Javion Tyndale – https://theprovidencecrier.com/2026/06/23/crier-recruiting-corner-introducing-2027-point-guard-javion-tyndale/
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