Analyst Previews Carter Gooden's Fit With UCLA

The four-star defensive end is going to disrupt opponents in the trenches.

Sep 14, 2024; Pasadena, California, USA; A TD 42 sticker on the helmet of UCLA Bruins offensive lineman Kory Symington (63) in honor of Terry Donahue and Jackie Robinson during the game against the Indiana Hoosiers at Rose Bowl. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

UCLA landed a priority commitment Thursday in four-star Marion (Mass.) Tabor Academy 2026 defensive lineman Carter Gooden.

The highly-touted defensive lineman is now DeShaun Foster's highest-rated recruit in the class of 2026, coming in with a 93 rating on 247Sports. Gooden's pledge was expected for the last week or so, and now the Bruins got him along with his three-star high school teammate, Marcus Almada.

The Bruin Report Online staff analyzed Gooden's addition to Westwood and how he'll fit with the Bruins in the future. Here's what they said about the No. 1 prospect out of Massachusetts:

"When it came time to make a decision, it was a battle between UCLA and Penn State. Boston College was also involved at the end but it was a battle between the Nittany Lions and Bruins, who won out after a few weeks of discussions with his inner circle.

"Gooden wants to play as an edge rusher, and UCLA's insistence he will was a big part of his recruitment, and a factor in his decision on UCLA over Penn State. At 6-foot-4, 260 pounds entering his senior season at Tabor, many programs had concerns whether he will be able to stay at the size to play on the outside rather than moving inside but the Bruins believe that will not be an issue. Tabor coach Jeff Moore said Gooden's frame is already developed and he is not built to add much more mass, and his explosion and agility at his size is elite. Moore, who spent time as an assistant coach at UMass, also coaches at Oakdale (Conn.) St. Thomas More and Windsor (Conn.) Loomis Chaffee. At those stops he regularly sent players to the Power Four level, and he said Gooden is the most explosive defensive lineman/edge rusher he coached.

"Of course, UCLA will look to bring in transfer edges through the next transfer portal season, but Gooden is talented enough that he might very well be able to step in as a true freshman and contribute.  UCLA doesn't have a true proven edge on its roster, and perhaps its most promising young guy is true freshman Cole Cogshell, who looked the part in spring practice. With Cogshell and Gooden, if they live up to their projection and stay at UCLA, the Bruin defense very well might have secured its dual edges of the future with Cogshell and Gooden."

This is a massive addition to an already historically great 2026 recruiting class, cultivated by Foster in his first full offseason as UCLA's head coach.

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