Football news

UC today received an oral commitment from Strongsville (Ohio) High School wide receiver D.J. Woods, who picked the Bearcats over Michigan.

“They said I could make an impact right away,” Woods said. “That’s what I want to do.”

Woods originally committed to Nebraska but changed his mind after head coach Bill Callahan was fired. He then committed to West Virginia, but reconsidered after Rich Rodriguez left for Michigan.

Rodriguez continued to recruit Woods for Michigan, which Woods visited this past weekend, but he chose UC instead.

“I wanted to be a Bearcat more than a Wolverine,” Woods said.

Woods, 6-feet, 166 pounds, is rated the 57th best wide receiver in the country by Rivals.com. He reportedly runs a 4.36 40.

He caught 38 passes last season for 748 yards and five touchdowns and averaged 19.7 yards per catch, even though he played in only five games.

His season was cut short when he had surgery to remove a blood clot near his spine. He said he has made a full recovery from the surgery.

Offensive tackle Khalil El-Amin has been reinstated to UC football team after felonious assault charges were dismissed last week.

“He went through the process,” UC coach Brian Kelly said. “I said we would not make a decision until everything had been adjudicated. His case was dismissed from the courts. Given all the information, I reinstated him Friday. He’s back in full standing with the program.”