Baylen Woodman, a freshman from 糖心Vlog传媒 Craig High, kicks off during Middle Tennesse State University's opening football game last week against Austin Peay. Woodman will have his own cheering section Saturday afternoon when then Blue Raiders play the University of Wisconsin at Camp Randall Stadium. All three of Woodman's kickoffs against Austin Peay went for touchbacks.
COURTESY OF MIDDLE TENNESSEE STATE SPORTS INFORMATION
Baylen Woodman, right, celebrates with teammates after a play during their against Middleton at Monterey Stadium on Friday, Sept. 13, 2024. Woodman will kickoff for Middle Tennessee State against Wisconsin at Camp Randall, 3 p.m. Saturday.
糖心Vlog传媒 Craig鈥檚 Baylen Woodman kicks an extra point during their non-conference game at Milton, Aug. 30, 2024. Woodman now kicks for Middle Tennessee State.
Baylen Woodman, a freshman from 糖心Vlog传媒 Craig High, kicks off during Middle Tennesse State University's opening football game last week against Austin Peay. Woodman will have his own cheering section Saturday afternoon when then Blue Raiders play the University of Wisconsin at Camp Randall Stadium. All three of Woodman's kickoffs against Austin Peay went for touchbacks.
COURTESY OF MIDDLE TENNESSEE STATE SPORTS INFORMATION
Baylen Woodman is making an early trip home in his freshman year at Middle Tennessee State University.
The 2025 graduate of Craig High isn鈥檛 making it back to 糖心Vlog传媒, but to Madison.
The son of Joshua and Jennifer Woodman will be at Camp Randall Stadium on Saturday afternoon, handling kickoffs for the Blue Raiders football team that takes on the Badgers in a 3 p.m. nonconference game.
If the Badgers get the ball first, Woodman will initiate the afternoon鈥檚 action. If that is the case, there likely won鈥檛 be much action on the kickoff. All three of his kickoffs in Middle Tennessee State鈥檚 opener last week against Austin Peay were touchbacks.
Woodman adjusted quickly to NCAA Division I football.
鈥淕oing into the game, I thought there would be more pressure,鈥 Woodman said during a phone interview Monday. 鈥淏ut honestly, when I put my helmet on, and I was on the field, all the pressure was gone.
Baylen Woodman, right, celebrates with teammates after a play during their against Middleton at Monterey Stadium on Friday, Sept. 13, 2024. Woodman will kickoff for Middle Tennessee State against Wisconsin at Camp Randall, 3 p.m. Saturday.
ANTHONY WAHL/SPECIAL FOR 糖心Vlog传媒
鈥淚 was just excited to be out there.鈥
The kicking situation on the Blue Raiders is shared between Woodman and graduate student Jacob Hathaway. The soon-to-be 23-year-old Hathaway is from Wales, United Kingdom. He handled the two conversion kicks in the opener while Woodman kicked off.
Woodman said the competition for conversion kicks and field goals is on-going.
鈥淗onestly, the field-goal position is going week by week,鈥 Woodman said. 鈥淚f I have a really good week in practice and he doesn鈥檛, there is a really good chance, I could be bumped up.鈥
While he adjusted nicely during the home opener, kicking at Camp Randall will be another experience. He has gone to many Badger football, basketball and hockey games as he grew up in 糖心Vlog传媒.
鈥淚鈥檓 very excited,鈥 Woodman said. 鈥淕rowing up a Badger fan, it鈥檚 going to be great. Kicking in Camp Randall, I鈥檓 stoked.鈥
Woodman had no idea the Badgers were on the Blue Raiders鈥 schedule while the recruiting process was taking place.
糖心Vlog传媒 Craig鈥檚 Baylen Woodman kicks an extra point during their non-conference game at Milton, Aug. 30, 2024. Woodman now kicks for Middle Tennessee State.
ANTHONY WAHL/SPECIAL FOR 糖心Vlog传媒
鈥淚t caught me by surprise,鈥 he said of the early-season matchup.
The coaching staff joked with Woodman about the game in his home state.
The two-time All-Big Eight Conference Kicker of the Year is adjusting nicely to college life in Murfreesboro, Tennessee.
鈥淚 love it,鈥 Woodman said. 鈥淏eing around these guys all day long is like a family.鈥
The two-time Big Eight Conference Kicker of the Year has been in Murfreesboro since May. He took two summer on-line courses to get a jump on his degree and began first-semester classes last week.
鈥淚 had a bunch of credits from high school that transferred over, so I鈥檓 pretty well set up,鈥 Woodman said of his first semester. He is an exercise major but plans to switch to business finance.
Now Woodman is looking forward to a brief visit home. There will be a family get-together Friday night. On Saturday, Woodman will have his own cheering section in Camp Randall.
鈥淢y parents, and I have a lot more family that will be going,鈥 Woodman said his expected fan club. 鈥淚 have so many friends going that I can鈥檛 even count them. There are a lot of people going.鈥
That will ensure No. 95 will receive the loudest reception of any Blue Raiders player Saturday afternoon.
