Just for Kicks: Louisiana placekicker ready to compete with two-time defending national champion Georgia Bulldogs
By Mike Coppage
Photo by Brad Kemp, The Acadiana Advocate
YOUNGSVILLE, La.- Ascension Episcopal kicker Peyton Woodring will get the chance to make his mark immediately when the University of Georgia signee gets to campus in a few months.
The path is there for Woodring to win the starting job as a true freshman for the back-to-back national champions, as senior Jack Podlesny is departing for the NFL.
Woodring is expected to compete with Jared Zirkel and Henry Bates for the starting job.
Zirkel has the edge when it comes to experience, having booted a 21-yard field goal against South Carolina, along with five kickoffs for touchbacks during the season. Bates was a member of the 2022 recruiting class.
Although he won't get the luxury of kicking in spring practice against Zirkel and Bates, Woodring is confident he can make up ground.
"I might be a little nervous on my first kick, but I'm ready for it," he said. "I know I can do it. My goals are to start as a freshman and to break the school field goal percentage record."
Ascension Episcopal kicker Peyton Woodring is headed to the University of Georgia, the two-time defending national champions.
Woodring - also a member of Ascension Episcopal's baseball team - is putting in long hours each day as he finishes out his senior season.
After classes, there are baseball practices and baseball games. After baseball practice, he's putting in work in the weight room and staying sharp with his right leg. He just received his training regimen from Georgia several days ago.
He's a natural athlete who batted .348 and sported a 1.60 earned run average as a pitcher for the Ascension Episcopal baseball team, which reached the Division III quarterfinals last year. He'll be one of two ace pitchers this season.
Woodring racked up every accolade imaginable during his prep football career.
He made a 56-yard field goal during his junior campaign. As a senior, he recorded 64 touchbacks, kicked four field goals of 50 yards or more and broke a 20-year state record with a 60-yarder in the regular-season finale against Franklin.
Woodring made first-team all-state, first-team MaxPreps All-American and was an Under Armour All-American.
The 60-yarder came on the final play of the first half after Woodring's teammate, defensive back Blake Sylvester, intercepted a pass and returned it to the opponent's 43-yard line.
"With his leg, you feel comfortable that, at the very least, you're going to get a touchback," Ascension Episcopal coach Stephen Hearen said after the Franklin game. "Peyton is obviously a talented guy.
"He's also a mentally strong guy. I have faith in him to give us a shot from anywhere in that area."
Ascension Episcopal is a small school with a Class 2A enrollment. The Louisiana High School Athletic Association has five classes - the largest is 5A.
The Blue Gators had the best kicker/punter combination in the country in Woodring and Badger Hargett, a five-star punter.
"It was great knowing we had the competitive edge on special teams," Woodring said. "Badger and I controlled quite a few games."
At the Under Armour Bowl, Woodring converted two PATs and got to meet several members of Georgia's 2023 class - five-star linebacker Raylen Wilson, five-star safety Joenel Aguero, five-star defensive lineman Jordan Hall, four-star edge Samuel M'Pemba, four-star cornerback Justyn Rhett and four-star linebacker Troy Bowles.
"The thing that really stood out was the size of these dudes," Woodring said of his future teammates. "They were all very competitive, especially in the one-on-one's in practice.
"Our defensive class is awesome. It's going to keep up the Georgia standard."
Prediction: Georgia Bulldogs poised to land one of nation's top athletes
Woodring was one of only a handful of kickers to sign with a Division I program in this recruiting cycle. He was ranked by 247Sports and Kohl's Kicking as the No. 1 kicker in the nation.
During the summer, he performed well at camps held by Georgia and Alabama. After the Alabama camp, coach Nick Saban offered a scholarship. Bulldogs coach Kirby Smart quickly followed up with one, as well.
"Coach Smart talked with me for an hour on a Zoom call when he made the offer," Woodring said. "He's really an approachable guy. At the same time, he expects a lot from you."
Smart got an assist from special teams coach Scott Cochran and special teams analyst Kirk Benedict when it came to recruiting Woodring, who committed to the Bulldogs last June.
"Coach Cochran is great at his job," Woodring said. "His intensity makes you into a better player. He's also from Louisiana."
Wooding made an unofficial trip to Athens the morning after he kicked the 60-yard field goal to watch Georgia host Tennessee. He followed up with an official visit the first week of December, and he even got to attend the SEC Championship Game in Atlanta where the Bulldogs defeated LSU.
"Coach Smart and the whole coaching staff came up to me when I arrived for the Tennessee game," said Woodring, who texted the coaches after he set the state record. "They were excited."
The opportunity to sign with the two-time national champions is obviously very appealing. The atmosphere in Athens also lured Woodring.
"Really, the environment in Athens and the academics were big for me," said Woodring, who maintains a 4.0 GPA.
