Dylan Gooden, 4-star Maryland LB with pro pedigree, names Rutgers in his top 4

Rutgers may not have snagged Don Bosco (Ramsey, N.J.) four-star offensive lineman Chase Bisontis on Sunday, however bought comfort when Good Counsel (Olney, Md.) four-star linebacker Dylan Gooden named Rutgers one among his prime 4 faculties over Twitter. Not simply that, however an image of Gooden sporting a Rutgers jersey and doing the chop throughout his official go to in June, facilities the graphic depicting his prime faculties.

Dylan was accompanied to Rutgers final month by his mom, and father, Dwight “Doc” Gooden, who starred for the Mets, Yankees and different MLB groups and is a two-time World Sequence champion, four-time all-star, and two-time strikeout chief who gained the Triple Crown and NL Cy Younger Award in 1985.

The picture additionally exhibits Gooden in jerseys from Virginia Tech, Penn State, and Maryland – his different three finalists.

Gooden is taking his time attending to know his finalists whereas targeted on the classroom. However Rutgers is the only faculty that he formally visited, and has recruited Gooden as onerous as another faculty.

An elite athlete with size and a excessive soccer IQ, Gooden could be an enormous coup for Rutgers, contemplating his items whereas linebacker and edge are positions of want.

Gooden is an athletic, artful participant, who excels largely through the use of his palms to swipe blockers off his body, releasing himself as much as make performs. He instantly rids of contact, permitting his quickness to shine as he runs down quarterbacks and ball-carriers like a cheetah searching its prey, and units his edge.

Gooden can even stack-release, push-pull, has an assortment of arm-over-and-under strikes and, usually, doesn’t get blocked. He at all times will get his palms up, batting passes and blocking passing home windows for quarterbacks not in his grasp, and area objective makes an attempt by kickers.

He’s the primary participant down the sphere on kickoff regardless of his lengthy, wiry body, and exhibits ardour for the sport.

All in opposition to elite competitors every week.

The stage is ready for Rutgers and what may very well be a photograph end for an elite expertise with robust pedigree and native ties, who isn’t targeted totally on NIL chips.

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Todderick Hunt could also be reached at thunt@njadvancemedia.com.