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Georgia Remains A Priority for 4 Star Edge Defender Monkell Goodwine

Monkell Goodwine has an elite list of schools to choose from. Dan Lanning and Georgia made the cut in the top 8 for the 4-Star hybrid edge defender and remain a priority.

Offers started pouring in for Monkell Goodwine when he was just in the second semester of his freshman year in high school. A year later, Ohio State and Georgia would offer Monkell a scholarship five days apart and that was really a launching point for his recruitment and a time self-validation. Goodwine explained, "I was just like 'Oh snap!' I was excited. I really didn't expect to get Georgia at that point and time. I wasn't getting a lot of respect and had some people calling me overrated. So, it was nice because I've come a long way."

The big-time offers would continue to come. Today the 4-Star defensive end and outside linebacker hybrid has a list of 8 elite programs that he'll choose from sometime between now and the early signing period. The list obviously includes UGA and Alabama, LSU, Maryland, Ohio State, Oklahoma, Penn State, and Texas A&M make up the remainder. While there is no clear cut favorite for Goodwine at this time, he did seem adamant that Georgia is in good shape at this point in his recruitment.

When asked about whether or not he'll take Athens into consideration for an official or unofficial visit, Goodwine responded, "They can get both honestly. At this point, I'd say Georgia is a high priority for me." The 4-Star attributed his desire to get down to the Classic City to his budding relationship with Dan Lanning. Referencing Lanning, Goodwine said, "We talk a lot, and we just chat it up. I'm telling him yeah I've got to get down there. He (Lanning) was telling me that I'm high on their board. Also, I feel like I can have a genuine conversation with him at any time of day. Whether it be stuff outside of football, girls, school, going out, whatever."

Goodwine has started bulking up some recently as well. Listed at 6'4" 249 on most recruiting sites, the rising star from Fort Washington, Maryland said, "I've been working out a lot lately. I'm actually up around 262. I've still maintained my speed and quickness, so depending on what I end up at, I may put my hand in the ground and play D-End, or linebacker. We'll see." Originally, Lanning and other college coaches had been talking to Monkell about outside linebacker.

Kirby Smart alluded to the fact that Georgia will be going heavy on linebackers in the 2021 class after only taking one in MJ Sherman in 2020. Sherman and Goodwine are from the same area. St. John's, Sherman's alma mater, and National Christian Academy, where Goodwine attends, are only 20 miles apart. While Goodwine and Sherman don't know each other directly, Monkell indicated he was very aware that Georgia had been able to come into the area and grab one of the best linebackers in the country in the previous class.

Also, Georgia got in late on 2020 offensive lineman, and teammate of Goodwine, Aaryn Parks in the past recruiting cycle. While the Dawgs were not able to land the now Oklahoma signee, they did get Parks down on a visit and Goodwine said that the feedback on Georgia that Parks gave him was great.

Playing at National Christian Academy, Goodwine should be well prepared for the transition to big-time college ball. As an independent school that plays programs from all over the country. "My Head Coach, he wants us to experience college life early. The way we practice and prepare, some of the travel, the hotel stays on away games, people taking our equipment for us. I feel like I'll have a taste of it and be familiar with some of the things that college teams do once I get there."

4-Star Edge Defender Monkell Goodwine (National Christian Academy)

4-Star Edge Defender Monkell Goodwine (National Christian Academy)

Goodwine knows for sure that he will be enrolling early and that he plans on announcing his decision during the early signing period. Expect a continued narrowing down of the top schools in the running. A top 5 announcement is coming soon and one would think that with the defensive prowess Georgia has displayed over the past couple of seasons and the needs they'll have at linebacker after this year, the Dawgs would be in good shape to make the cut.

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