If the well-deserved hype centered around Kiyaunta Goodwin wasn’t clear following our Oct. 24 Hurry-Up, allow us to follow up with some additional comments and analysis about the four-star prospect from Indiana – one who’s risen from being ranked No. 280 overall nationally in August to No. 197 today and one who’s right at the top of the Buckeyes’ board in the 2022 class.
One of the reasons Goodwin is so highly valued by Ohio State and one of the reasons he’s likely to continue a jump into the top 100 and beyond? His ceiling is higher than his 6-foot-8 height and his potential is bigger than his 305-pound frame.
Chris Vaughn, Goodwin’s trainer at Louisville’s Aspirations Fitness Institution, has worked with both Jedrick Wills and Mekhi Becton, who were taken by the Cleveland Browns and New York Jets with the 10th and 11th overall pick, respectively, in the 2020 NFL draft.
Vaughn wasn’t blowing any type of smoke up any type of anywhere when he said that Goodwin has the chance to be better than both of them.
“Kiyaunta’s longer than both at the same stage, he’s stronger than both, he’s got better feet, and he’s got a better natural feel for the game,” Vaughn told Eleven Warriors on a trip to Louisville two weeks ago. “He’s got all the intangibles and the mechanics and stuff like that too. Again, if he stays the course, the sky’s the limit for him. I think he could be the No. 1 pick in the draft. A lot of people look at the rankings and where kids are ranked at and assume things. I think his ceiling is absolutely the No. 1 pick in the draft. If he stays the course, I like his odds.”
That playoff vibe WIN or go HOME pic.twitter.com/8yhltAGkb1
— Kiyaunta Goodwin (@K_Goodwin2022) October 18, 2020
What comes next, Vaughn says, is for Goodwin to have no slowdown in his work as he needs to continue working relentlessly on his primary pass sets and staying lower, in addition to adding some more strength now that’s lost all that weight, continuing to hone his hand placement, using his eyes in play recognition and studying game tape – all things that have gotten better as he’s aged and will improve if he gets the right college coach with the right developmental plan.
“He’s genetically separated. I’d like to see someone who’s genetically more gifted than him,” Vaughn said. “My challenge for him is that if he can overachieve, at his size and stature, if he has just a decent career he’ll go on to play in the NFL. If he goes on to work hard, he’ll have a great NFL career. If he overachieves, he could be a Hall of Famer. That’s always been my challenge to him is can you overachieve with what God’s blessed you with? Because he’s special.”
Goodwin’s size and attitude has helped create his ability as a mauler in the trenches, but it’s his ability to move and get on the perimeter that makes him a more dangerous O-line prospect. That’s why Vaughn is confident Goodwin will rise up those rankings over the next two years.
“I think once time goes on, once analysts are able to come see him in person, he’s a no-brainer for what he is with the size, physicality and athleticism,” Vaughn said. “He’s got all the tools you look for in a No. 1 prospect. It’s just a matter of getting out in front of people. He hasn’t been to too many camps so I think once he gets back out on the circuit he’s gonna shoot up the boards.”
Big bruh @moore_rondale back in town working out with his Day 1 @Aspirationsgym #loyalty pic.twitter.com/CLDU8nSTsW
— Kiyaunta Goodwin (@K_Goodwin2022) August 24, 2020
And if you hear about and see Goodwin’s unmatched work ethic, there’s optimism to believe he could reach that ceiling if he continues to put the work in.
“We sat down and had a real conversation,” Vaughn said. “He’s seen a bunch of kids come and go. We’ve had kids that played at Alabama and LSU, and we never heard from them again. They transferred out or something. He’s a kid that really understands the process and knows the work that needs to be done to play at the highest level. He gets it. He’s seen that from a very young age. He goes hard at it and outworks everybody.
“Rondale Moore, Wan’Dale Robinson, Stephen Herron at Stanford, Tahj Rice at Duke, Nate Hobbs at Illinois – an All-Big Ten cornerback who will get drafted. He’s had a lot of good examples of kids who have done things the right way.”
Ohio State has early edge but decision still far away
As we talked about over the weekend, Goodwin will have the opportunity to choose just about anywhere he wants to go to school. Ohio State, Clemson, Notre Dame, LSU, Oklahoma, Alabama and Louisville are just some of the schools that have done a great job recruiting him, in addition to Kentucky, Oregon, Florida and Arizona State. His decision will ultimately come down to relationships (stop us if you’ve heard that before) and some of the things we talked about on Sunday, including that developmental plan.
It’s Oct. 27, and a lot can change as far as Goodwin’s recruitment goes. As it stands today, I love Ohio State’s chances of landing him as one of the cornerstones of its offensive line haul, but there’s plenty of work to be done. There is no timetable set for his commitment, and first up will be a trimmed list so that he can focus on a set of five or 10 schools instead of 50-plus. With most of those schools listed above, including Ohio State, Goodwin is speaking with the position coaches and head coaches pretty frequently, and it’s clear that he’s a priority.
Seeing Kiyaunta Goodwin train in person, it's easy to see what impresses Ohio State's staff about the four-star offensive tackle.
When it comes to the Buckeyes, they have been in on him longer than most programs, ever since his eighth-grade year when he took a visit to Columbus. Since Vaughn trained both Moore and Robinson, both of whom the Buckeyes did some work recruiting, and Ohio State’s staff got a bit of an inside edge during that time by establishing an early relationship with Goodwin – even though he was only a raw prospect back then, they could tell there was something special brewing with Goodwin.
“He had a bunch of offers when he was young, and Ohio State was one of the first blueblood schools to offer him. They jumped on board,” Vaughn said. “They put tabs on him and were showing interest when he was young, and once he got his bodyweight down they kind of jumped on board. Coach (Greg Studrawa) has done a great job. They’re on Zoom calls. I’ve sat down with him on a couple of them, and he’s shown him some drills and different things he can do, especially as a tall guy. That’s the stuff that motivates him because he’s burning to get better. Coach (Ryan) Day is talking to him every day or every other day. Just different motivational stuff. He’s kind of seen what the program’s about not just from a football side of things.”
Familiarity with Marotti
Another not-so-small factor here is Vaughn’s ties with Ohio State strength coach Mickey Marotti.
Marotti was Vaughn’s strength and conditioning coach when Marotti held that position at Notre Dame, where Vaughn was a receiver. With a development plan being such a crucial aspect of Goodwin’s recruitment, getting a first-person account of what that would like is an advantage for the Buckeyes.
“I’ve told Kiyaunta all kinds of stories about (Marotti),” Vaughn said. “He’s an old-school guy who really gets after it. He’s one of the best strength coaches in the nation. Kiyaunta’s definitely cut from that cloth. I’ve been blessed to be around a bunch of great strength coaches, and Mick is at the top of that list. I’ve learned so much from him. I know what Mick could do with Kiyaunta’s body. The way he looks now, I can only imagine five years from now what he’d look like.”
