2019 Four-Star DB Raymond Woodie III Has Expectations Exceeded

2019 Florida State University School (Fla.) defensive back Raymond Woodie III‍ had heard a lot about Notre Dame over the last few months and made his way to South Bend on Saturday. 

The four-star prospect was able to experience a ton during his Junior Day visit and left knowing he was fit at Notre Dame.  

“It was a great visit,” Woodie told Irish Sports Daily. “The visit actually exceeded my expectations. The school and campus are so nice. The buildings are expensive and really nice too. I wasn’t really expecting that part of the visit.” 

Woodie was a priority for the Notre Dame staff as he met with three different coaches. 

“I spent a lot of time with Coach (Terry) Joseph and Coach (Todd) Lyght,” explained Woodie. “I also got to spend time with Coach (Autry) Denson.” 

Joseph and Woodie had a relationship dating back over a year, so reconnecting with him at Notre Dame was great, but also getting to know Lyght was crucial for his recruitment. 

“I knew him from North Carolina,” Woodie said of Joseph. “He was recruiting me as a sophomore, so we had some background.

“It was good to get up and talk to Coach Lyght face-to-face. They’re both really good coaches, so it was good to be around them.

“They see me playing either cornerback or safety.” 

Head coach Brian Kelly also met with Woodie one-on-one. The 6-foot-1, 180-pounder came away impressed with Kelly’s personality after their conversation. 

“He was a cool guy,” stated Woodie. “He’s really down to earth, and he was joking around with me. He’s a really cool head coach.” 

Woodie also got to see how he would fit in with current members of the team, including some of Notre Dame’s early enrollees. 

“I got to hang out with Brandon (Wimbush), Ian (Book), Micah (Jones), Houston (Griffith) and Jahmir (Smith),” Woodie said. “I actually thought I fit in really well with those guys. I could see myself fitting in with the team.”

Woodie will slow things down over the coming weeks as he plans to take time out for his 7-on-7 team and to enjoy time with his family. 

“I don’t have any other visits set,” stated Woodie. “I’ll be at Miami next weekend for a 7-on-7 tournament, but other than that, I don’t have any plans. Spring break is after that, so I’ll probably spend some time with my family.”

One thing Woodie does know coming out of the weekend is that he will return to South Bend in the fall. 

“Notre Dame will definitely get an official visit,” said Woodie. “It will be during the season.”