2018 DE Goodson ready to field more than just Miss. State offer

Dekalen Goodson helped his John Tyler team get off to a winning start on Saturday, as he led the defense in a convincing 45-14 win.

The three-star 2018 defensive end frequently created first contact for a unit that pummeled Plano West with gang-tackle after gang-tackle. For a player that is still somewhat slight for his position, Goodson did a nice job shaking off blocks and finding his way back to the ball again and again.

Goodson, who already holds a Mississippi State offer, has also received interest from several other programs, including Houston. He was in attendance at a camp over the summer and said that the exposure helped him get a better idea for what the program is all about.

“I really liked the coaches out there,” he said. “I like how they motivate you to work harder and never quit, no matter what the situation is.”

Goodson added that the culture from within the staff added to the environment when was out there competing.

“It was very intense,” he said. “I liked the atmosphere. It made me want to play harder.”

Other schools have maintained interest in the young lineman, including Purdue and SMU, but it’s clear that he is still very early in the recruiting process.

Goodson’s familiarity with Mississippi State:

“I still haven’t talked to anyone out there yet, I expect to hear from them sometime in September,” he said. “One of our alumni, Fred Ross, went there a couple of years ago, and I’ve been talking to him a little bit but that’s about it.”

Goodson’s opinion of SMU:

“I don’t know much about them,” he said. “I watch them on gameday, though, and they look pretty good; looks like a good school to go to.”

It still might be too early to tell if Goodson will fill out to the point of carrying the sort of size he’ll need to play at for a defensive end, particularly in the SEC. There were times in Saturday’s game that he lost leverage and was pushed around if he wasn’t the one to win the battle off the line. His future could also be as a pass-rush specialist that plays off the line on early downs, but there is plenty of time between now and the end of his senior season to determine how much bigger and stronger he can become.

With his interest not limited to in-state programs, Goodson could find himself leaving Texas should he feel the fit is right for him. Right now, he has one major criteria when considering possible options.

“Distance doesn’t matter,” he said. “I’m gonna look at whatever my best option is to go to the [NFL].”