Tahaan Goodman has committed to the UCLA Bruins, giving Jim Mora’s class an elite safety -- and possibly indicating they’ll land another one by the end of the day.
Tahaan Goodman commits to UCLA over USC, Oklahoma
Top safety Tahaan Goodman has chosen UCLA, leading to speculation that another elite player at his position will also be joining Jim Mora’s Bruins.
Goodman is a consensus four-star recruit, generally considered one of the top ten safeties in his class and amongst the top 100 players at any position. He was also considering Oklahoma and had a visit planned to LSU, but the Rancho Cucamonga native decided to stay close to home -- meaning UCLA, not USC, a school he was also thinking about.
Goodman had reportedly talked about committing as part of a package deal with Priest Willis, a safety from Tempe, Arizona also considered one of the best in the class. Together, they’d form an imposing incoming defensive backfield alongside four-star cornerback Johnny Johnson. Willis is set to announce tonight as well, and at this point, it has to be expected that he’ll be pledging to UCLA. Bruins Nation had an open thread for both announcements, if you’re interested in seeing how UCLA fans feel about the commit.
Here’s what Derrell Warren had to say about the safety with more than 25 offers when reviewing film back in July.
Goodman is a plus level athlete at the position and smoothly navigates across the field with deft footwork. Goodman best profiles as an in-the-box style of safety as he is at his best in run support. He is a defender who takes nice, efficient angles to the ball-carrier that enable him to cut off perimeter runs with room to spare. Goodman is a menacing striker who generates a ton of pop from his powerful frame.
