Jelani Woods Bio
Jelani Woods is an American professional football tight end for the New York Jets of the National Football League (NFL). Standing 6 feet 7 inches tall, he plays as a pass-catching tight end after beginning his athletic career as a high school quarterback. After a strong senior season at Virginia, he was selected in the third round of the 2022 NFL draft by the Indianapolis Colts and later joined the Jets as a waiver claim ahead of the 2025 season.
Early Life and Background
Jelani Woods was born on October 9, 1998, in Ellenwood, Georgia, in the United States. He grew up in Ellenwood and attended Cedar Grove High School, where he was a dual-sport standout. As a junior quarterback, he passed for 1,992 yards with 20 touchdown passes against only six interceptions, establishing himself as one of the more productive passers in the region.
As a senior at Cedar Grove, Woods continued to develop as a leader, passing for 2,316 yards and 26 touchdowns and earning honorable mention All-State honors along with first-team All-Region 5 3A recognition. He was also recognized as an honorable mention All-State basketball player by The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, demonstrating his overall athletic profile. Rated a three-star recruit, he committed to play college football at Oklahoma State over scholarship offers from Michigan, Louisville, Kansas State, and South Carolina.
Path to American Football
Woods arrived at Oklahoma State as an early enrollee and used his freshman year as a redshirt season to develop physically. During Cowboys practices leading up to the 2017 Camping World Bowl, the coaching staff moved him from quarterback to tight end, a position change that would ultimately define his professional future. The change took advantage of his height, frame, and athleticism, giving him a clearer route to a sustained role at the highest level.
As a redshirt freshman, Woods finished with seven receptions for 120 yards and two touchdowns, showing immediate receiving upside. He then added 16 catches for 112 yards and a touchdown as a redshirt sophomore, earning honorable mention All-Big 12 Conference recognition. After his redshirt junior season produced eight receptions for 129 yards and another honorable mention All-Big 12 selection, he announced his decision to transfer to the Virginia Cavaliers as a graduate student, seeking a larger role in the offense.
Jelani Woods Career
Early Career (2017–2020)
Woods spent the first four seasons of his college career at Oklahoma State, learning the tight end position after arriving as a quarterback recruit. His production grew steadily, and he was twice recognized as an honorable mention All-Big 12 selection by the conference. The move from quarterback to tight end allowed him to showcase his size and hands while continuing to develop as a blocker.
After the 2020 season, Woods entered the transfer portal and committed to Virginia as a graduate transfer, looking to take advantage of the extra eligibility year granted during the COVID-19 era. The decision gave him a chance to operate as a primary receiving threat in a Power Five offense.
Virginia Breakthrough (2021)
In his lone season with the Virginia Cavaliers in 2021, Woods emerged as one of the top tight ends in the Atlantic Coast Conference. He caught 44 passes for 598 yards and eight touchdowns, providing a reliable target in both the red zone and intermediate passing game. His production reflected the full transition from college quarterback to complete tight end.
Following the season, Woods was named first-team All-ACC, confirming his status as one of the premier tight end prospects in the 2022 draft class. His combination of size, catch radius, and red-zone scoring made him an attractive option for teams looking to add a seam-threat tight end.
Indianapolis Colts Era (2022–2024)
Woods was selected by the Indianapolis Colts in the third round with the 73rd overall pick in the 2022 NFL draft. His NFL career began with an immediate highlight, as he scored his first two professional touchdowns on his first two career receptions in a Week 3 victory over the Kansas City Chiefs. He finished his rookie season with 25 catches for 312 yards and three touchdowns, a productive debut for a Day 2 draft pick.
On August 30, 2023, Woods was placed on injured reserve, interrupting his momentum heading into his second professional season. The setback was followed by another challenge on August 23, 2024, when it was announced he had undergone toe surgery and would miss roughly four months in recovery. After working through injuries across his first three seasons, he was waived by the Colts as part of final roster cuts on August 26, 2025.
New York Jets Era (2025–Present)
On August 27, 2025, Jelani Woods was claimed off waivers by the New York Jets, giving him a fresh opportunity to compete for a roster spot. The move paired him with a Jets offense looking to add size and experience at the tight end position. He enters the Jets era aiming to put his injury history behind him and contribute as a red-zone option and chain-mover.
Driving Style and Strengths
At 6 feet 7 inches and roughly 253 pounds, Woods offers a large catch radius and the ability to win in jump-ball situations. His background as a quarterback gives him a strong understanding of route concepts and coverage recognition, allowing him to find soft spots in zone defenses. He is at his best as a move tight end who can attack the seams and convert in the red zone.
Notable Events and Milestones
Woods’s signature early NFL moment came in Week 3 of his rookie season, when he scored two touchdowns on his first two career catches against the Kansas City Chiefs. He also earned first-team All-ACC recognition in 2021 and was a third-round draft pick in 2022, milestones that frame his path from college standout to NFL contributor.
Jelani Woods Career Wins
Jelani Woods has notched individual milestones in both college and the NFL rather than traditional racing-style victories. His first-team All-ACC selection in 2021 and his third-round selection in the 2022 NFL draft stand as his clearest career honors to date. He has produced touchdown catches at both levels, including a memorable two-touchdown debut performance against the Kansas City Chiefs.
Virginia Highlights
During his single season at Virginia in 2021, Woods recorded 44 receptions for 598 yards and eight touchdowns, the most productive statistical stretch of his career. The campaign earned him first-team All-Atlantic Coast Conference honors and positioned him as a top tight end prospect. It remains the foundation of his professional resume.
Other Wins and Performances
At Oklahoma State, Woods earned consecutive honorable mention All-Big 12 Conference selections, recognizing his steady development at tight end. In the NFL, he posted 25 catches for 312 yards and three touchdowns as a rookie with the Colts. His career has been marked more by athletic milestones than by win totals.
Jelani Woods Family
Family Background and Racing Lineage
Public information about Jelani Woods’s immediate family and parents is limited in verified sources. He grew up in Ellenwood, Georgia, where he attended Cedar Grove High School and developed into a top regional athlete. There is no widely documented racing lineage tied to his family background.
Personal Life
Verified details about Woods’s marital status, spouse, and children are not publicly confirmed in available sources. He is known to focus much of his public profile on his professional football career. Any further personal details outside of his athletic record are not included here.
2025 Season Performance
The 2025 season marks a reset for Jelani Woods after injury-limited years in Indianapolis. His waiver claim by the Jets on August 27, 2025, placed him in a new offensive system looking for tight end production. He is competing for a roster role and an opportunity to return to the form he showed as a 2021 All-ACC selection and 2022 rookie contributor.
Coming off toe surgery that sidelined him for roughly four months, Woods faces questions about durability and conditioning early in the Jets tenure. His size, quarterback background, and red-zone scoring history give him a clear specialty if he can stay healthy. Coaches are likely to evaluate him as a situational tight end who can stretch the seams and convert in scoring territory.
The outlook for the rest of 2025 centers on whether Woods can carve out a consistent role in the Jets offense and add to his career totals of 25 receptions, 312 receiving yards, and three touchdowns from his rookie year. With proper health, he has the tools to develop into a reliable complementary tight end behind the Jets’ top pass-catching options.