University of Central Florida grad transfer defensive tackle Cam Goode committed to Michigan on Friday evening. Goode was reportedly also considering Syracuse and Vanderbilt.
Goode was listed on UCF’s roster at 6’2″ and 315 lbs. He was a part-time starter for the Golden Knights in 2021, playing in all thirteen games and making 24 tackles, 4 tackles for loss, 3 sacks, 1 interception, 3 pass breakups, and 4 forced fumbles.
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Goode was a part of the 2018 high school recruiting class, when he chose Virginia Tech. He was a 3-star, the #40 defensive tackle, and #554 overall in that class out of Washington (DC) St. John’s. The likes of Arizona, Indiana, and Pitt also offered him out of high school, but he was never really on Michigan’s radar at the time. After spending one redshirt season in Blacksburg, he wound up at UCF.
I’m a little torn on Goode. On the one hand, I really like his quickness and explosiveness. I tend to prefer quickness and athleticism over pure power and strength, which is why I have not totally been on board with a lot of Michigan fans’ desires for 340 lb. defensive tackles in recent years. Those guys are fine, but they have to be able to move. I think it’s good to have at least one of those guys on your roster for certain situations, but they’re limited.
On the other hand, I’m not sure how well Goode will fare in the Big Ten. Competition will be ramped up, and Goode’s tackles for loss in 2021 came against Navy, UConn, Memphis, and then Florida in a bowl game they didn’t care about. (Florida lost 29-17 to UCF, and Michigan has seen firsthand a Florida team be largely unmotivated in a bowl game following the 2015 season.)
Anyway, I do think Goode will play more in 2022 than Jordan Whittley played in 2021. Goode can be active and versatile on the defensive line, and I think Michigan can move him around a little bit to create some matchup issues. He’s quick enough and powerful enough to get underneath some guards and centers, and I think he pairs up nicely with someone like Mazi Smith at the nose tackle position.
As a fifth year player with a COVID year to spare, Goode could potentially be in Ann Arbor for both the 2022 and 2023 seasons if both parties think that suits them well. That should alleviate Michigan from having to force some young guys into playing action that they might not be ready for just yet.
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