On Thursday morning en-route to their first camp of a short string of camps in the Metroplex-East Texas area the Houston coaching staff got some good news when Boling (TX) athlete Elijah Gooden called to give the Houston staff a bit of good news regarding his recruitment.
The talented standout committed to Houston just a few days after picking up the offer following a strong performance at Houston's mini camp Monday night.
Gooden is a prospect that's flying a bit under the radar. Situated about an hour south of Houston in Boling (TX) he's the top player on campus for Texas 3-A high school, so he may not be a name that many fans are familiar with.
CougarsDen talked with Boling Athletic Director and Head Coach Stephen Dorr who gives us his take on the kind of player Gooden is both on and off the football field.
"He is a two way starter at the 3A level and he's very explosive on both sides of the ball," Dorr told CougarsDen. "As a junior, on offense, he averaged 13.2 yards per carry for the season, and scored 19 rushing touchdowns."
"He also averaged 30 yards per catch and scored two touchdowns in the passing game," he added.
But Gooden is far from just an offensive weapon for the Bulldogs.
"From a defensive standpoint, he can play on all 3 levels," Dorr said of Gooden. "He had 15 sacks on the season, and over 100 tackles".
"He is exceptionally strong in the weight room. He squats over 650 lbs, and benches over 400 lbs. He ran at the state track meet as a Sophomore in the 200m. Elijah loves to play football, and is a worker."
Dorr adds that Gooden is an exceptional studen that carries a core 3.5 GPA and is an excellent teammate and presence in the Boling locker room. He also adds that Gooden is Boling's best player on the field and the Boling staff utlize him on both sides of the ball schematically to put him in position to make plays to help Boling win football games.
One of the biggest question's about Gooden's commitment is where will he play?
The Houston coaching staff love his athleticism and plan to bring him on campus as an athlete and let him sort of fall into place where he best fits.
Dorr feels that Gooden could excel at a variety of different positions at the next level and shouldn't have a problem finding a fit on either side of the football.
"Elijah is a unique talent," he said. "He is a football player. With his speed, ability to make plays, and his preparation during the week, we can see him playing on either side of the ball at the college level."
If there's a common theme here, it's that both the Houston staff and Boling head coach Stephen Dorr firmly believe that Houston got themselves a heck of a football player in Elijah Gooden who is a guy that Dorr believes could accomplish anything he sets his mind to.
"Elijah comes from a great family, he has great work ethic, and leadership skills," Dorr said. "We believe, with his ability, he can be whoever he wants to be in the future."
