Goodman Feeling Good about the 2005 Season

With the departure of the Seminoles’ top three pass catchers from a season ago and veterans Chris Davis and Willie Reid prone to injury, Florida State's freshman wide receivers may be asked to contribute significant minutes this season.

And while highly touted high school phenom Fred Rouse has always been expected to have a prominent role in his first collegiate season, it may be another guy who was relatively unknown coming out of the prep ranks that is most poised to step up at the receiver position as a freshman this season.

Richard Goodman, who attended St. Thomas Aquinas High School, has impressed coaches and media members alike with his strong play and has positioned himself in the top five of the WR depth chart.

At Saturday’s scrimmage, the 6-0 175 pound athlete found himself as a starter in the slot position as Davis was out with a slight hamstring injury.

“I think I am catching on pretty well,” Goodman said. “I know about 90 percent of the playbook now. The main thing for me is that I am doing well against the first and second teams so I know where I am at skill wise. To be a freshman coming in and being able to compete against guys that are experienced is a big thing.“

To say that Goodman’s strong play has been impressive would be an understatement. Coming out of high school, the Ft. Lauderdale native was ranked a three-star prospect and while gathering several scholarship offers from some of the nation’s top schools, he was not considered a big time prospect.

While he and fellow underrated freshman receiver Rod Owens seemed like perfect candidates to take a redshirt in their first year to adjust to the college game and get bigger and stronger, their strong play over the course of preseason camp has put them in position to contribute right away.

“I don’t think that me or Rod (Owens) are going to redshirt but you know, anything can happen,” Owens said. “It’s just going to depend on what the situation is and how our preparations for Miami turn out. We won’t find out until pretty close to the first game.”