Tennessee head coach Jeremy Pruitt paused while examining film during his trip to Maryland’s National Christian Academy in 2018.
“Coach, who the hell is this kid?” he said turning to NCA head coach Andre Kates.
The highlight tape rolled on as then-sophomore defensive lineman Monkell Goodwine raced his way past older defenders and into the backfield clip after clip.
“Coach, I’ve done and coached all these guys,” Pruitt continued, listing out a wide array of now NFL stars from his days at Alabama and Georiga. “This kid is a pro. He’s a pro.”
Pruitt is hardly the only college coach left astonished by Goodwine’s mix of size and speed. Nick Saban had a similar reaction when seeing the 6-foot-4, 265-pounder for the first time. Fortunately for the Alabama head coach, he’ll have that talent at his disposal over the next few years as Goodwine announced his commitment to the Crimson Tide on Saturday.
