Clemson Commitment Will Weigh His Options

by David Hood - Senior Writer - Wed Oct 15 01:24:40 GMT-04:00 2008

The Eagle (Scout) has almost landed in Clemson, but with the recent change of head coaches for the Tigers, it may have to wait a little longer than anticipated.

West Florence High School defensive end Malliciah Goodman has already committed to the Tigers, but said on Monday that with the coaching change, he will sit back and weigh all his options before commenting further.

One good thing for Clemson is the fact that Dabo Swinney, Clemson's interim head coach, has been Goodman's recruiter.

"I am not sure what I am going to do right now," Goodman said. "I am a little shocked about it, but I'm alright. I'll wait until everything settles down."

Goodman's head coach at West Florence, Trey Woodberry, said the news about head coach Tommy Bowden's resignation had barely reached him before he started hearing from several college programs, including South Carolina and Georgia, wanting to know if Goodman was available, and with little wonder.

The 6-foot-4, 260-pound senior is considered one of the more athletic linemen in the state, and uses his 4.5 second 40-yard dash and 40-inch vertical leap to his advantage on the gridiron, registering 11.5 sacks so far this season, despite being double and triple-teamed on every play.

"He is just a tremendous athlete," Woodberry said. "He has speed, but he is also very physical. But he is also one of the best kids I've ever been around. He is a very caring, smart kid, and a good kid. He is a Boy Scout, almost an Eagle Scout, and that tells you just the type of kid he is."

Woodberry related that Goodman was also written up for the first time in his school career recently.

"He forgot that he had his cell phone on him, because he usually puts it in his locker," Woodberry said. "He was in class and a college coach texted him, and even though they are allowed to have them after school, they are not allowed in class. He was very, very upset about that. That tells you what kind of kid he is."

Goodman said that for his part, he just loves being out on the football field, and doing what he does best, which is getting to the quarterback quick and often.

"I just love playing football, because I like being real physical and beating the man in front of me," Goodman said. "I like going and getting the quarterback, because it is just an adrenaline rush, and really exciting."

Goodman is taking a full load this semester, and had hoped to graduate in December so he could enroll in Clemson in January, and get a head start on his college playing career.

"I am really just trying to apply myself, and get all of that stuff out of the way," he said. "I really like Clemson, because of the atmosphere, and the fun I have had at Clemson with the players. And I really like the academics."

In other news, Clemson lost two of its top commitments after Bowden stepped down. Defensive back Craig Loston from Aldine, Texas said he is no longer considering the Tigers and likely will decide between Texas, LSU, Oregon. Defensive back DeVonte Holloman from Rock Hill, SC has opened up his recruiting and is now also looking at South Carolina and LSU.

2009 Football Commitments

Ben Axon RB 6-1 196 4.5 Bradenton, FL

Quandon Christian LB 6-3 205 4.5 Lake View, SC

Eric Fields LB 6-1 205 4.5 Warner Robins, GA

Malliciah Goodman DE 6-4 260 4.5 Florence, SC

Corico Hawkins LB 6-0 218 4.5 Milledgeville, GA

J.K. Jay OL 6-6 275 4.7 Greenville, SC

Roderick McDowell RB 5-10 175 4.4 Sumter, SC

Larry Raper ATH 5-10 165 4.4 Shelby, NC

Tyler Shatley ATH 6-3 255 4.7 Connellys Springs, NC

Brandon Thomas OL 6-4 280 4.7 Spartanburg, SC