National signing day came and went this week without much fanfare because of the attention given to the early signing period which takes place in mid-December. But there were still some lingering top recruits who waited until this week to sign that national letter of intent.
Dwight Gooden’s Son Signs With Maryland Football
One of those was Dylan Gooden, the son of retired MLB pitching legend ‘Dr. K’ Dwight Gooden. Dylan is a four-star prospect who attended WCAC power Our Lady Of Good Counsel and is the 41st-ranked edge rusher in the class.
The talented Gooden chose head coach Mike Locksley and the Terrapins over the likes of Notre Dame, USC, Penn State, Tennessee and others. The addition of Baby Doc gives Locksley and the rising Terps three four-star recruits in the 2023 class, which is good for a 27th-best national recruiting ranking.
Dylan’s famous dad took to Twitter to congratulate his son.
“Proud of you son,” Doc Gooden wrote.
“The work is just getting started.”
Pen to paper! #GoTerps 🐢🐢 pic.twitter.com/ucQwJYgvxn
— Dylan Gooden (@DylanGooden4) February 2, 2023
When football season ended, Gooden decided to transfer to Wilde Lake High School located in Howard County, where he resides with his mom. Gooden has joined the basketball team and has quickly become known for his nightly poster dunks.
Dylan Had 20 Offers, So Why Maryland?
When a recruit possesses the unique ability to rush the passer, they inevitably become a coveted prospect. That was the case for Dylan, who had 20 offers from DI programs.
But why did he choose to stay home and play for the Terps?
Proximity
One reason was the ability to play for a school in his home state.
Friendship
Second, it was the lure of playing with high school teammate Neeo Avery, another four-star edge rusher. In fact, Avery and Gooden are the second- and third-ranked players in the Terps’ 23-player haul.
Head Coach Mike Locksley
Lastly, it was the opportunity to play for Locksley, whose ties to the DMV go back to his days growing up as a young lad in the area. That and the opportunity to play in a defense that showed some real signs of turning the corner last season.
The addition of Gooden and Avery give the Terps a very intriguing linebacker quartet with freshman All-American Jaishawn Barham and stud tackling machine Vandarious Cowan. In a supremely tough Big Ten conference these are the types of elite athletes UMD has been looking to land, and to have four of them together is a step in the right direction.
In welcoming Dylan Gooden, son of Dwight Gooden, the sons of two legendary #Mets from the 1986 World Champions will be Terps.
Remember, DJ Strawberry, son of Darryl Strawberry played for @TerrapinHoops in the mid-2000s.
DJ is still playing pro hoops in Egypt.#LGM https://t.co/BA5z1HdqbW
— Jason Yellin (@JasonYellin) December 21, 2022
Gooden Comes From Great Stock
When your dad is Dwight “Doc” Gooden, being a top-level athlete is probably expected, and Dylan has exceeded that with ease. His dad was an MLB star pitcher, 1984 NL Rookie of the Year, four-time All-Star, NL Cy Young Winner, two-time World Series Champion, MLB ERA leader, MLB wins leader, two-time MLB strikeout leader. He also has a no-hitter and holds a career record of 194-112 as a starting pitcher while starring for the New York Mets and New York Yankees.
Four-star class of 2023 edge rusher Dylan Gooden has committed to Maryland football. Good Counsel product. https://t.co/4h6j2ksTtQ
— Ben Dickson (@bendickson__) December 18, 2022
Now he’ll get to see his son do work weekly in College Park, Maryland, at raucous Capital One Field at SECU Stadium.
“Fear The Turtle” is a real thing.
