High school recruits never forget when a football legend personally calls them. For Su’a Cravens, that moment of validation came when Charles Woodson reached out to him before his senior year at USC. Now, as Charles Jr. commits to the University of Michigan, where his father won the Heisman Trophy and became a college football legend before eventually shining in the NFL, Cravens shared the memorable story of a phone call with the man himself.

“I remember Michigan had Charles Woodson call me on the phone when I was in class to try and get me to decommit from USC going into my SR year,” Cravens, a USC legend, wrote in X.

“Last thing I remember saying to him, “You’re a legend, man, and it would be an honor to walk in your footsteps … But Michigan is too damn cold for me!” He started laughing and told me to “Be a great kid.” Will never forget that,” Cravens added.

It made sense for Woodson to try to recruit Cravens, who made a huge name for himself during his time in Southern California. The Los Angeles native was one of the most exciting defensive players in the country, finishing his USC career with 207 tackles, 10.5 sacks, nine interceptions, and 34.5 tackles for loss while becoming one of the key faces of the Trojans’ defense in the mid-2010s.

The Washington Commanders drafted him in 2016, but just a year later, there was a cruel twist of fate. A major concussion derailed his dream of becoming one of the league’s top defenders, and although he returned to football, he was never quite the same player again. He joined the Denver Broncos in 2018 before being dropped a year later.

Earlier this year, Cravens officially announced his retirement from football. “I’m done,” he said on a video on X.

“I don’t know if you could have guessed that, but I am done. Yes, I’ve come to terms with my dream coming to an end. I think I came to terms with it back in 2019 when I told the New England Patriots no to their deal they offered me. And I sat on the floor and cried right before I caught a flight back to Cali, because I knew it was over then and there.”

Now, Cravens has shifted his focus to media, staying connected to the game he loves. So seeing Charles Woodson’s son follow in his father’s footsteps and commit to Michigan naturally brought back a personal memory.

Michigan lore runs thick with  Woodson interceptions snatched from the sky, toe-tapping sideline acrobatics, and hard hits that left opponents cautious. In Ann Arbor, he became the definition of a shutdown defender. So, it would not be surprising if young Woodson also turns into an explosive player, considering football greatness runs in his veins.

Kyle Whittingham, after joining Michigan, also placed a lot of emphasis on the recruit and even sent five coaches to visit him last January. Charles Jr. had a very simple answer as to why he chose Michigan. “It was a good first impression,” Woodson Jr. said.

What does Charles Woodson Jr’.s commit means for Michigan

The three-star safety Woodson Jr. just became the 10th verbal pledge in Michigan’s class of 2027. Although he ranks as the No. 805 prospect nationally, his surname alone carries a legacy that will instantly make him a fan favorite in Ann Arbor. He also held offers from schools such as Oregon, Texas A&M, Ole Miss, and Florida State.

The 5-foot-10, 173-pound safety out of Orlando’s Lake Nona High School recorded 73 tackles, two interceptions, and two touchdowns during his junior season, earning All-American status in the process.

“Smart safety with best-in-class type of bloodlines that made noticeable strides between sophomore and junior campaigns,” 247Sports director of scouting Andrew Ivins wrote in his scouting report. “Darts forward with conviction in run support, taking sound angles to the football despite not being the largest defender at this stage. Flashes solid range from a single to a two-high look.

“Shows promising awareness in both zone and man coverage as he gets to the catch point and will play through hands. Lack of testing data and speed markers is not ideal, but he closes gaps in pads and has ripped off long runs in the return game.”

Woodson Jr.’s head coach from Orlando, David Aubrey, meanwhile, described him as someone with a smart football brain. “Does well, very diverse, does well in zone coverage and man coverage. What I think is the most impressive thing is how physical he is,” he said in an interview with on3.com.

The Wolverines have also heated up on the recruiting trail recently. Michigan had slipped to No. 40 in the rankings earlier this cycle, but since April, the program has climbed back up to No. 17. Woodson Jr. becomes the second defensive back in the class, joining Las Vegas Centennial three-star safety Maxwell Miles.