Spring football returned to the University of Alabama on Friday, March 19.
Fans of the Crimson Tide are excited for this edition of athletes taking the field, as Nick Saban and the program look to repeat as national champions. With 15 practice sessions – including the A-Day Game – the staff writers for Touchdown Alabama Magazine will provide in-depth previews on marquee players.
We go to the defensive side of the football for this profile as we look at freshman defensive lineman, Monkell Goodwine
Monkell Goodwine
-Classification: Freshman
–Position: Defensive Line
-Hometown: Upper Malboro, MD
-Height: 6-4
-Weight: 278 pounds
-Strengths: Versatility, Size, Backside Pursuit, Strength
-Weaknesses: Did not play senior year of high school due to COVID-19,
–Summary: Question marks surround Goodwine’s growth as a football player because he was unable to play his senior season due to COVID-19.
The last time he was in action was doing an injury-shorten junior season. Nevertheless, the Crimson Tide did not hold that against him and continued to pursue him throughout his recruitment, which led Goodwine to choose the Tide over Clemson, Texas A&M and others.
When the Maryland product was able to show what he can do there was a lot to like. It all starts with his size. At 6-foot-4 and 275 pounds, Goodwine could play defensive end or grow into a defensive tackle for Alabama. He consistently displayed an ability to move like a smaller player in space throughout his high school career.
The former four-star recruit has a high motor. He rarely gave up on a play in high school and even attacked plays that went away from him.
Goodwine gave high school offensive linemen fits with his unique blend of speed and size. He was quick off the snap and was able to use his strength to power through blockers. A lack of rushing techniques and moves were knocks on Goodwine’s ability, but it is unclear how much he has grown in that area since he did not play a single down of football as a senior.
Alabama returns a veteran defensive line group and is expected to have a deep rotation. If Goodwine is able to crack this rotation, it could help Alabama get back to having a consistent rotation along its defensive front.
Related Alabama spring football profiles
Get the BEST Alabama football insider information, message board access, and recruiting coverage today! SIGN UP HERE to unlock our subscriber-only content!*
Justin Smith is a Scouting/Recruiting analyst for Touchdown Alabama Magazine. You can follow him on Twitter, via @Jdsmith31Smith
