Abingdon tight end Aidan Woods will be catching passes for head coach Bill Belichick’s North Carolina Tar Heels and punter Connor Smith is going from the Ridgeview Wolfpack to Woo Pig Sooie.
The two rising seniors who compete in the Mountain 7 District recently made verbal commitments to high-profile NCAA Division I football programs.
Woods revealed on social media Tuesday that he will continue his career in the Atlantic Coast Conference with UNC and play for the legendary Belichick, who was hired to lead the Tar Heels back in December after winning six Super Bowls as the head coach of the New England Patriots.
“Yeah, when Bill Belichick tells you that he thinks you can play tight end for him you are kinda like ‘OK’ with all the greats he has coached,” Woods said. “They never rushed me into making a decision and I appreciate that.”
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The 6-foot-5, 280-pound Woods had 13 catches for 152 yards with three touchdowns for the Falcons during the 2024 season.
“We are all very happy for Aidan,” said Abingdon coach Garrett Amburgey. “He is an impressive young man and ballplayer. UNC is a great program and we look forward to watching him play in Chapel Hill. He will be a valuable asset to the program.”
Meanwhile, Smith committed to the Arkansas Razorbacks of the Southeastern Conference on June 14.
“It’s exciting to see your players play at the next level no matter what the size,” said Ridgeview coach Kent Grant. “This one being the SEC definitely adds more to it. That just doesn’t happen every day here.”
What drew Smith to the school in Fayetteville, Arkansas?
“The coaching staff is top notch and made me feel wanted and appreciated,” Smith said. “They took time to get to know me personally and my family. The campus, city and community are beautiful and feel like home.”
Smith averaged 41.9 yards on 11 punts last season with a long of 59 yards. As a kicker, he was 51-of-57 on extra points, made three field goals and 45 of his kickoffs resulted in touchbacks.
“Connor has never missed a football practice,” Grant said. “He has his routine he goes through every practice. He is always working on something. You will never see him just sitting around.”