Five Play Prospect: Gators DL Lamar Goods Scouting Report
As the GatorMaven "Five Play Prospect" series continues - breaking down each of Florida's early signings with a five play scouting report - it's time to transition towards the defensive side of the ball and keep it rolling in the trenches.
Today, we will be taking a look at disruptive defensive tackle Lamar Goods, who hails from Fort McMurray, Alberta, Canada, and played high school ball at St. Thomas More (Oakdale, CT).
Joining an impressive group of interior defensive linemen for the class of 2020, Goods (6-3, 303 lbs.) brings a unique skill set to the Florida Gators. The powerful interior defensive lineman will be the prototypical nose guard, but with unusual athleticism for a nose.
Speed and quickness are always important. All positions need those attributes. One position that rarely sees true quickness or excellent side-to-side athleticism is nose guard. Usually relegated to be the run stopper that takes up two blockers, the nose guard rarely headlines a post-game stat sheet.
Goods brings the size of a nose guard, but also the short-area burst and change of direction often associated with positions like defensive end or tight end. Yes, he’s that athletic.
Film Room
During this first play, Goods runs into a mass of humanity as his own teammate gets in the way. He spins back the other direction and makes the tackle. While not a sack or big tackle for loss, watch his feet and how he keeps moving until he finishes the play. This combination of effort and athleticism will serve him well in the SEC.
That's also a look into Goods' processing. He's quick to diagnose live situations and make the best move to continue making and impact.
This second play demonstrates a traditional power move. Goods goes left and utilizes his hands to slap away the offensive lineman’s, and makes a play in the backfield. This play is similar to what Jalen Lee likes to do, using his hands to work inside and do damage.
This third play represents what college defensive coordinators go crazy over. Sheer effort.
Despite being double-teamed, Goods splits the two offensive linemen, creating power with a low center of gravity and solid drive, finds the football during a screen pass to the running back in the backfield, and gets to the ball carrier. Great play.
Most interior defensive linemen are known for run defense; if Goods continues to utilize his hands like he does on this next play, he could also be a quality pass rusher.
Watch his left engage the offensive lineman. Next, he goes over the offensive lineman with his right hand on a swim move to penetrate and pursue the ball. That corner-turn following the swim, for a stout interior lineman, is impressive.
Saved the best for last: The first step quickness proved to be excellent.
His hand slap was well-timed and allowed him to pass the center, and he stepped far enough left to immediately be in the gap. That’s a big-time move for a high school football player. Goods practically took the snap in the backfield! That's some elite burst.
Final Thoughts
Goods can be a run stopper, but more importantly, he can be disruptive. He’s not just going to be a plugger that teams can run the football one gap over from him. He’s active with his feet and his hands, which allows him to get after the quarterback or ball carrier and play multiple gaps if defensive coordinator Todd Grantham chooses.
Speaking of getting after it, Goods' quickness does remind one of a defensive end. Combined with his lower-half strength and power, he’s a load to handle at the point of attack. He could play either interior defensive line position without a question. With that, placing him next to Lee or Gervon Dexter during any one given play makes it hard to choose which player gets double teamed.
The Gators landed one of the most gifted nose guards in the country in Goods - certainly one with high upside.
