Fact or Fiction: Malachi Goodman is set to become a Rivals250 prospect
Rivals national recruiting analyst Adam Friedman is joined by Richie O’Leary of HappyValleyInsider.com, Tyler James of InsideNDSports.com and Jed May of UGASports.com to tackle three topics and determine whether they believe each statement is FACT or FICTION.
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1. Malachi Goodman is set to become a Rivals250 prospect.
Friedman: FACT. After seeing Malachi Goodman for the first time on Wednesday, there is very little doubt he’ll add his fourth star in the next rankings update and making the Rivals250 is certainly a possibility. The 6-foot-5, 315-pound tackle prospect doesn’t carry much bad weight and has outstanding movement skills for a player his size. Goodman is powerful and showed quick feet and balance when working through various drills. Georgia, Penn State and Auburn (where he’ll be visiting this weekend) are in the best position at this point but USC and Alabama are very much in this race.
O’Leary: FACT. Goodman is one of the best prospects to come out of Paramus Catholic since five-star Rashan Gary back in the 2016 class. He’s a legit 6-foot-5 and weighs in around 315 pounds and holds it really well. He’s also very athletic and possesses a lot of strength to go along with that size, starting with his strong lower body that allows him to move defensive linemen with ease. He’s easily one of New Jersey's best and should definitely be in the Rivals250 in what is one of the deepest classes for New Jersey in recent history.
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2. Will Black should be ranked ahead of Owen Strebig.
Friedman: FACT. I’ll play devil’s advocate here but I really do think Will Black and Owen Strebig should be ranked fairly close together. I’ll give Black the edge right now because he has the tools to play earlier in his career than Strebig but Strebig might have more long-term potential.
Seeing Black work out in person this week, it was impressive how physically mature he is and how he moves quickly and powerfully. He has the skill set and physical traits that should allow him to play guard or tackle at the next level and that type of versatility could help him in the rankings and, eventually, the NFL Draft.
James: FICTION. Strebig and Black certainly should be ranked closer together than the current ranking with Strebig at No. 43 overall and Black outside the Rivals250. But I’m still siding with Strebig ahead of Black for now.
Strebig feels like more of a complete product physically. He’s big, strong and plays with aggression. He’s also tested himself against tough competition on the camp circuit, which should help his preparedness once he gets to Notre Dame. But Strebig will need to work on his pad level and knee bend to fully reach his potential.
Black plays a bit more technically sound than Strebig. He does a good job with pad level and knee bend at his size, and his athleticism shows up on the field. His biggest areas of improvement will likely be hand placement and strength. Black has loads of potential, but his path to reach it may be a little longer than Strebig’s.
Could Black end up being a better college offensive lineman than Strebig? I could certainly buy that. His potential may be higher as a more natural left tackle whereas Strebig may fit best at right tackle. But I wouldn’t be in a hurry just yet to rank potential over production.
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3. Darren Ikinnagbon should be the highest-ranked defensive end in the East region.
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Friedman: FICTION. I'm reserving my right to change this answer until after we see more from Darren Ikinnagbon this fall but, after getting to watch him work out on Wednesday, it certainly won’t be surprising to see him end up with a much loftier ranking at the end of the cycle. The Georgia commit has sky-high potential and is much more physically developed at this stage of his career than expected. Ikinnagbon has a powerful lower-half and still shows off the agility we’ve come to expect from the former basketball player. His technical abilities were still raw at the end of last season and he hasn’t participated in any skills camps this offseason so there is still a lot to learn about him before proclaiming him the top defensive end in the region.
May: FICTION. I wouldn’t say Ikinnagbon should be the highest-ranked right now only because other players are a bit more proven commodities. But there’s no mistaking the ceiling and upside that the New Jersey prospect possesses. He has a long frame and the kind of athleticism that made him a priority target for Georgia. A strong senior season could definitely put him in contention for that top spot.
