Florida '22 IN OL - Kiyaunta Goodwin (Transfer to Florida)

Kiyaunta Goodwin looking for in-person bond, Jalon Walker decision date https://t.co/wS2NQJUrjw pic.twitter.com/pBluadKc4v

— Lettermen Row (@LettermenRow) March 2, 2021

Kiyaunta Goodwin ‘will not decide’ until visits can be made
On Saturday, Kiyaunta Goodwin announced his top-13 schools, a list that included the programs most people expected it would. Ohio State, Alabama, Kentucky, Clemson are up near the top of the list for the 6-foot-8, 305-pound standout from Charlestown (Ind.) High School, and that group has been jockeying for position in his recruitment over the last few months.

Toward the end of last week, Lettermen Row was in Louisville to spend a little time with Goodwin as he trained at Aspirations Gym with trainer and mentor Chris Vaughn. There was plenty of conversation about Goodwin and his recruitment — there will be more about him later this week on the site — but the crux of the discussion came down to a few key talking points. The first was exactly what anyone should expect.

“Kiyaunta is all about trust,” Vaughn told Lettermen Row. “And this dead period has really stopped him from being able to get around people to see who he trusts. He will not decide unless he can visit a school. And if the visits don’t happen, that could really change things.”

That may feel ominous for the Buckeyes, but the expectation is that the dead period should end on May 31, so there’s definitely a chance for summertime visits. That’d be vital for Ohio State as it tries to showcase its need at offensive tackle to Goodwin and his camp, while allowing Greg Studrawa his first true chance to make a very good relationship right now into something even better.

“I really like Coach Stud, he’s always having a good time and joking around on the phone,” Goodwin said. “And we talk a lot. I really like him, and I hope I can get the chance to get to know him better in person soon.”

There is some discussion with the Buckeyes commitments about potentially making a trip to Columbus in April for Goodwin, who continues to be impressed by the effort that the kids in the Ohio State 2022 class make.

“Not many commits from other schools get in touch,” he said. “Those guys are doing it a lot, and it’s not something other places do.”

 

"I wasn’t the best version of myself. I realized I could do this, I could take care of my mom doing this. I just had to get myself in the right mindset.”

Kiyaunta Goodwin lost 100+ pounds and is now a prized recruit.

From @BillLandis25https://t.co/VmA9rCAZsY

— The Athletic CFB (@TheAthleticCFB) March 3, 2021

 

Aspirational Living: How Kiyaunta Goodwin transformed his body to change lives https://t.co/G5kHoOX1vy pic.twitter.com/VYgwVAe9fj

— Lettermen Row (@LettermenRow) March 5, 2021

 

• Ohio State’s top target at offensive tackle, Kiyaunta Goodwin, is set to release his top five sometime soon. The Buckeyes will almost certainly be included, as they have been seen as the Indiana native’s lean for quite some time. The nation’s No. 5 OT and No. 47 overall player in 2022 currently has three Crystal Ball predictions in favor of Ohio State. Standing at 6-foot-7, 300 pounds, Goodwin would be another huge addition to the Buckeyes’ already loaded group in 2022.

 

Top 5 dead or alive @Hayesfawcett3 pic.twitter.com/1bWg0HBonG

— Kiyaunta Goodwin (@K_Goodwin2022) March 19, 2021

 

Kiyaunta Goodwin releases loaded final five schools list https://t.co/kiqus4791c pic.twitter.com/MqGocAOiWE

— Lettermen Row (@LettermenRow) March 19, 2021

 

Kiyaunta Goodwin (@K_Goodwin2022) is Ohio State’s most-important remaining target in the 2022 class.

The future five-star OT broke down his recently released top five with @11W earlier this week:https://t.co/WROzU7ei9j

— Zack Carpenter (@Zack_Carp) March 19, 2021

 

Kiyaunta Goodwin (@K_Goodwin2022) is Ohio State’s most-important remaining target in the 2022 class.

The future five-star OT broke down his recently released top five with @11W earlier this week:https://t.co/WROzU7ei9j

— Zack Carpenter (@Zack_Carp) March 19, 2021

GOODWIN RELEASES TOP FIVE
Some major news dropped on Friday for Ohio State’s biggest (in stature and importance) target in the 2022 class.

Future five-star offensive tackle prospect Kiyaunta Goodwin released a top five on Twitter today, and it’s what we expected when we talked about it on Wednesday.

Ohio State, Alabama, Clemson, Kentucky and Michigan State are the final candidates for the services of the No. 47 overall player, No. 5 offensive tackle and No. 1 player in the state of Indiana out of Charlestown High School. The future top-10 NFL draft pick (and potential No. 1 overall pick) now has his set of schools that he knows he will be making official visits to once the dead period is lifted (hopefully that’s coming on June 1).

Goodwin, in our opinion, is Ohio State’s most-important target in the 2022 class. Landing the 6-foot-8, 300-pounder is paramount, and the Buckeyes took that next step with the release of this list. Goodwin broke down that top five with Eleven Warriors earlier this week:

• Ohio State – “I talk to Coach Stud and Coach Day three times a week. I feel like I have a very great relationship with them and I know a lot about the football team. They have a history of great players and have a history of great players in the league. You know, they just have a great coaching staff. The strength and conditioning coach used to coach Chris so they have a really great relationship and so do we. Chris knows that he can develop me because he’s developed other players.”
• Alabama – “I feel like I have a great relationship with them and they also have a great history of offensive linemen in the league. I feel like I have a great relationship with Coach (Doug) Marrone. I talk to him a lot, and I feel like we’re building a great relationship. He has a bunch of connections in the league. He was a head coach in the NFL, and he’s an offensive line guy so I feel like I could do great things with him.”
• Clemson – “I called them the Chick-Fil-A school. They’re just different. I feel like they carry themselves different, but they’re still competing with everybody. They work one less day, and they still have (a great program). Coach Dabo (Swinney) and Coach (Robbie Caldwell), I have great relationships with them. You know, I’m a very big relationships guy. That’s very important to me. I don’t wanna just build a great relationship, I wanna feel like I’m wanted. I feel like I’m wanted by them and feel like that’s somewhere I can have a lot of success. If I’m wanted, I know you’re gonna put your time in developing me as a player.”
• Kentucky – “Kentucky has a very good offensive line. I keep up with the offensive lines, and they surprise you. That’s one of the main reasons. With Coach (John) Schlarman, before he passed away, we had a really great relationship. When Coach (Eric Wolford) took over, the first thing he did as soon as he got the job is he called me. That shows that he was very invested in me and he took this relationship and my recruitment very serious.”
• Michigan State – “Coach (Mel) Tucker, I have a very great relationship with him. He’s a great dude. A real great dude. And Coach (Chris Kapilovic), I have a really great relationship with him too. You can tell that’s a common theme with all the schools. It’s all about relationships.”

Goodwin is still intent on not making any commitment until after he can make official visits, but he does say that he will come to that decision “whenever the time’s right. Whenever I feel like I’m ready, to be honest with you. I don’t wanna be a kid who commits then decommits. I wanna pick the right school the first time and stick with them.”

Goodwin is an extremely thorough person and has been meticulous about this entire recruiting process. You only get to do this once, after all, and he knows that. That’s why he’s making sure to go over every minute detail and make sure he’s making the best decision he possibly can.

“All of those coaches, everything that they have said, I’ve researched and looked up,” Goodwin said. “All of those coaches (in my top five), anything that they’ve told me I’ve researched to see if they’re being honest. I’ve talked to the other players like, ‘what did this coach tell you? This coach told me he was recruiting two linemen, how many did he tell you they’re recruiting? Coach told me he’s taking two offensive tackles. Oh, he told me two, too.’ I’m always just trying to see if the coaches are honest, and I’m a big relationships person.”

The coaching staffs of those five schools, he says, have been nothing but honest and thorough with him. The backchannel research he’s done confirms that. Now, it’s just a matter of remaining patient until the NCAA lifts the dead period before Goodwin narrows his decision down from five to one.

“I’m waiting to be able to take officials,” Goodwin said, noting that he’s not interested in taking self-guided visits to any of those five schools. “Me and Coach Stud we talked a little bit about setting up an official, but I just have to sit down with my mom and (trainer/guardian) Chris (Vaughn) and see what works for them.”

 

Ohio State’s battle against Kentucky for future five-star OT Kiyaunta Goodwin is heating up a bit more this week.

The latest on where things stand with arguably the Buckeyes’ top overall target in the 2022 class:https://t.co/QGiOiOIatS

— Zack Carpenter (@Zack_Carp) April 1, 2021

As we've mentioned over the past couple weeks, ever since Goodwin broke down his top five schools with Eleven Warriors, the Wildcats are in the lead for the nation's No. 5-ranked offensive tackle, who plays his high school ball just outside Kentucky's borders and trains in the city of Louisville.

Goodwin is all about relationships, and it's Kentucky's assistants who he is the closest and most comfortable with. The staff offered him when he was a 13-year-old still in seventh grade, and he's been on campus more times than he can count. Certainly more than he's been to any other college.

If he wanted to make a commitment today or tomorrow, the pick would be Kentucky because of those relationships and because he knows that the Wildcats (contrary to what some may think) offer him a chance to be developed into an NFL prospect and fill his potential.

Now it's all about whether Goodwin will be patient enough to wait until June when there's real optimism that the dead period will come to an end and official visits will be allowed. Ohio State (or any of the other three non-UK programs in his top five) is not going to land a commitment from him unless he can visit, so getting him on campus is crucial.

If Goodwin does elect to commit to Kentucky before taking visits, Ohio State is likely to continue its pursuit of the future first-round NFL draft pick. I've been told there's a good chance he will still take his official visits even if he makes a pre-June decision, so there could still be some hope all the way up until he signs.

Consider Kentucky to be in the driver's seat with a quarter-lap or half-lap lead. But the race isn’t over.

 

If Stud loses this kid to Kentucky...........

 

Top #OhioState O-tackle target talks about where things stand on an official visit with the #Buckeyes. VIP https://t.co/LaDACFlO5n

— Bill Kurelic (@Bill_Kurelic) April 4, 2021

 

The answer...............he is a lazy recruiter...........so far he has gotten away with it...........what happens when his development starts to decline.......

I would rather have 5 star and 4 star kids to develop than 3 and 2 star kids.........

I am afraid we are going to be hurting on the offensive line after next season........

 

Look, I am no fan of Stud. As soon as the performance of the offensive line begins to decline, he is on borrowed time......

I would also mention that offensive line is one of the most difficult to project from high school to college.........

At a place like Ohio State...........we should not being taking "projects"................unless the kid has unbelievable potential......

Our offensive line recruiting just simply frustrates me......

 

Kiyaunta Goodwin decision date set, recruitment far from over https://t.co/MZVkuui7K1

— Lettermen Row (@LettermenRow) April 8, 2021

 

The Hurry-Up: Kiyaunta Goodwin sets decision date with the Buckeyes' No. 1 prospect in 2022 trending toward Kentucky, and Ohio State further cements itself as Ryan Turner's leader. https://t.co/yeNr1HUnn6

— Eleven Warriors (@11W) April 8, 2021

GOODWIN SETS DECISION DATE, TRENDING TOWARD KENTUCKY
Today's top item is essentially going to be a rehashing of what Eleven Warriors already reported last week, but it's necessary to relitigate it here.

Kiyaunta Goodwin is the Buckeyes' top target along the offensive line in the 2022 class, and I would argue he's their top recruit regardless of position in the cycle (so would Andrew, who's had him as the No. 1 target in 2022 in every one of his Heat Check updates since his first one dropped in November). If he's not No. 1, he's inarguably in the top three.

We already reported last week that Kentucky was the frontrunner for Goodwin, the No. 47 overall player and No. 5 offensive tackle in the country, and that if he was to make a commitment on that day, that the Wildcats would be the winner.

So Wednesday night's news that Goodwin has locked in a commitment date of April 17 is bad news for the Buckeyes. Goodwin has already made his choice, and I'm still putting plenty of confident money on Kentucky being the pick.

“Kentucky has a very good offensive line,” Goodwin told Eleven Warriors when he broke down his final five two weeks ago. “I keep up with the offensive lines, and they surprise you. That’s one of the main reasons. With Coach (John) Schlarman, before he passed away, we had a really great relationship. When Coach (Eric Wolford) took over, the first thing he did as soon as he got the job is he called me. That shows that he was very invested in me and he took this relationship and my recruitment very serious.”

Goodwin has long been eager to end his recruitment, and when next Saturday comes and goes, it will provide a major sigh of relief for the future five-star prospect.

But his recruitment will be far from over.

One of the main reasons Goodwin has been antsy to end the recruiting process (other than it being exhausting) is the fact that he (just like basically every other prospect in the 2022 and 2023 classes) is tired of being bamboozled by the NCAA. After hearing several times that the dead period would be coming to an end, Goodwin has gotten his hopes up on several occasions.

Well, that dead period still lingers, visits have not opened up, and frustration has long been set in. So, in just about one week's time, he's putting an end to it. For now.

As I wrote last week, even if Goodwin makes a commitment before June visits are allowed, I fully expect him to still take his five official visits this summer. Doesn't necessarily mean that he will deviate from a potential commitment to Kentucky, but if he takes those visits then there is a ray of hope for the Buckeyes and the rest of the pack (Alabama, Clemson and Michigan State are the other three in his final five.)

There should still be optimism that Goodwin can still wind up at Ohio State if those visits do open up and if he connects with the Buckeye coaches once he meets them in person for the first time – plus with any of the Buckeyes' commits who he may see during an on-campus visit. Essentially, if you're cautiously optimistic that visits will open up then you should be equally as cautiously optimistic that Goodwin can eventually end up in the Buckeyes' class. But they will be trailing by more than half a lap.

Ohio State will continue recruiting Goodwin while simultaneously turning more focus toward offensive tackle targets Aamil Wagner, Zach Rice, Addison Nichols and Tyler Booker.

 

Top247 offensive lineman Kiyaunta Goodwin will announce his college decision on CBS Sports HQ (FREE)https://t.co/zE8YzWNMln pic.twitter.com/acwoNcT7Z5

— Bucknuts (@Bucknuts247) April 13, 2021

 

BREAKING: 4 🌟 OT Kiyaunta Goodwin has just Committed to Kentucky!

The 6’8 305 OT and Top 55 Player in the Class of 2022 (#6 OT) chose the Wildcats over Ohio State, Alabama, Clemson, and Michigan State

He is the 3rd Highest Ranked Recruit in Kentucky History 🤯 pic.twitter.com/V6PTtYnE7k

— Hayes Fawcett (@Hayesfawcett3) April 17, 2021

 

5-star offensive tacke @K_Goodwin2022 wants to visit #OhioState soon (VIP via @SWiltfong247)https://t.co/GjYJSjji4w pic.twitter.com/wXiEP1UfJO

— Bucknuts (@Bucknuts247) October 20, 2021