New Paramount+ Series Follows Top Recruit's 1st Year at Penn State

Penn State offensive lineman Malachi Goodman is featured in 5-STAR, a documentary about four Big Ten freshman football players.

Penn State Nittany Lions offensive lineman Malachi Goodman participates in warmups prior to the game against the Villanova Wildcats at Beaver Stadium. | Matthew O'Haren-Imagn Images

Penn State offensive lineman Malachi Goodman is a focus of a new documentary series following four Big Ten freshmen who were 5-star recruits in their first seasons of college football. The series 5-STAR, from the production company co-founded by Tom Brady, debuts Dec. 2 on Paramount+.

The eight-part series follows Goodman, Michigan quarterback Bryce Underwood, Oregon receiver Dakorien Moore and Ohio State cornerback Devin Sanchez as they navigate their freshman seasons. The first four episodes will be released Tuesday, with the remaining four episodes scheduled for a Dec. 16 release.

The series is from Bosque Ranch Productions and Religion of Sports, a media company founded by Brady, Michael Strahan and Gotham Chopra. The production company 101 Studios and Big Ten Network are involved in the series as well.

“From the moment we conceived 5-STAR, we knew we had something special — a chance to capture not only the game, but also the profound human transformation that happens when teenage dreams collide with the brightest lights in college sports,” executive producers Chopra and Jonathan Schaerf of Religion of Sports said in a statement. "These four athletes are stepping into a defining moment."

A production crew followed Goodman throughout his first season at Penn State, which changed dramatically in October with the firing of James Frankin. Goodman, a 6-6, 315-pound offensive tackle, has not played for the Nittany Lions this season.

Penn State Nittany Lions offensive linesman Malachi Goodman (78) during a warmup prior to the game against the Villanova Wildcats at Beaver Stadium. | Matthew O'Haren-Imagn Images

Goodman, from Bloomfield, N.J., was a four-year letter-winner at Paramus Catholic. He was the highest-rated player in Penn State's 2025 recruiting class, according to 247Sports. Goodman was the top-ranked player in New Jersey, the No. 5 lineman nationally and the 19th-ranked player overall nationally, according to 247Sports.

According to a news release, 5-STAR is built around the concept that fewer than .01 percent of college football freshmen earn 5-star rankings from the recruiting services. In 2025, Goodman, Underwood, Sanchez and Moore were among the players to earn 5-star rankings.

The series promises a "behind the scenes look at these four dynamic young athletes" as well as a glimpse at how the players handle "the weight of fame, media attention and newfound-wealth testing their identities."

Penn State won its last three games of the regular season to finish 6-6 and become bowl eligible. The Nittany Lions went 3-3 under interim head coach Terry Smith, who replaced Franklin after he was fired Oct. 12. Penn State will learn its bowl destination Dec. 7.

Watch the trailer for 5-STAR here.

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