CLEMSON RECRUITING

Nation’s number one defensive tackle visits Clemson

Nation’s number one defensive tackle visits Clemson


by - Senior Writer -

The nation’s number one defensive tackle recruit spent three hours on the Clemson campus Thursday morning, and his high school head coach said the visit can only help Clemson’s chances.

Five-star recruit Eddie Goldman Eddie Goldman
Defensive Line
6-4, 305
Washington DC,
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out of Washington (DC) Friendship Collegiate Academy has offers from over 50 schools, and he is taking visits to many of the campuses as he tries to whittle down his list of favorites to a top 10 by late May.

His head coach at Friendship, Aazaar Abdul-Rahim, handles all interviews for the prospect, and he said that they arrived at Clemson around 9:30 and left around 12:30, but the visit was a favorable one.

“I know his visit can only help them,” Abdul-Rahim told TigerNet Thursday evening. “Visits like these are helping us make his list a little shorter. He got to see Clemson’s academic facilities and the athletic facilities, and Clemson has a reputation for defensive linemen and he likes that. Right now, everybody is calling him, and we want to get his list down to 10 or so by mid or late May.”

Abdul-Rahim, who is Friendship’s first and only head coach, said Goldman is the first high-profile recruit he has had, and he wasn’t surprised when Clemson came calling.

“I have had kids get offers, and get multiple offers,” he said. “But nothing like the amount of scholarship offers and attention he has gotten. I have coached him since he was in the ninth grade, and I knew he was special then. Once he bought into the work ethic and wanted to get better after that ninth grade season, it was easy for him. After his 10th grade season, he started getting a lot of verbal offers.”

The 6-4, 307-pounder was first recruited by Kevin Steele, and on Thursday he got to spend time with the defensive coordinator and line coaches Dan Brooks and Marion Hobby, as well as head coach Dabo Swinney.

As a junior, he recorded 40 tackles, 5.5 sacks, an interception and a fumble recovery, and Abdul-Rahim said it all starts with Goldman’s explosiveness.

“He gets off the line of scrimmage extremely fast,” he said. “He is extremely fast for his size, and he knows how to use his hands better than most high school kids. He is just a very explosive, powerful kid.”

Many scouts compare him to former UNC lineman Marvin Austin, and Abdul-Rahim said those comparisons are accurate. However, he still needs to work on the mental side of his game in order to be a star in college.

“When he figures out the mental side of things – and he will figure it out – he will be special,” he said. “For instance, maybe he has bread and butter move, and maybe that works against high school players. But what is he going to do when that bread and butter move doesn’t work? He has to adjust.”

Abdul-Rahim said Goldman is going to take several more visits, and has a full schedule next week as he will travel to Alabama, Auburn, Florida, Florida State, and Georgia.

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