The Football Brainiacs

This young man plays with a lot of confidence. Looks to have good size for the next level. He can catch and you can move him around; line him up inside and line him up out wide. Depending on what offense he plays for this could be a big asset. There were no blocking plays on his film highlights which is concerning but given some of his physicality in other areas on the field and it would be hard to believe that he can’t get it done. But I do believe he is a more of a receiving threat TE by the looks of it but he’s physical after the catch so ultimately its going to depend on what scheme he’s in, how well he develops physically and how much he takes to blocking development.

Grade: 3.5

When I think of a great HS TE I think of Texas Tech’s Jace Amaro. Amaro was so physical in the run game, he could catch and run in the open field but what I really loved about him was just how difficult it was to bring him down once he had the ball in his hands. HS kids bounced off him and college kids aren’t fairing much better these days. To me Goolsby plays like a WR but moves like a TE. That’s not necessarily a good thing. There is no question he’s got great body control and can catch the ball in traffic. He catches the ball away from his body and he contorts himself in the air to put himself in a position to make the catch. He’s also more fluid and more natural as a receiver than other TEs. But if all he is going to be is a receiving TE that you can move around then I think Oklahoma is better off playing a kid like Mark Andrews in that spot because he gives you all the size but more wiggle and top end speed. If I compare Goolsby to other TEs that can catch he gets the edge but without the physicality I feel like it’s perhaps more appropriate to compare him to big WRs like Todd and Andrews. He doesn’t fare so well in those comparisons. Goolsby flashes physicality but you don’t see a big bruising kid that is consistently a chore to bring down. His film doesn’t show any blocking clips and in my mind if you aren’t putting any blocking clips on film then it might be something you aren’t particularly proud of. He does line up at FB in one play and they hand him the ball and he definitely shows some physicality there. And it may simply be that his coaches feels he’s better utilized as a receiving threat. But there is enough of him lined up in line to think that he’s doing some blocking. Goolsby is definitely an athlete and but he isn’t the kind of physical heavy TE that I think Oklahoma should be targeting especially in light of the fact that they have commitments from 3 big WRs.

Grade: 3.4

Kid has great size at 6’3″.  His hands are huge and he uses them very well.  I don’t think there was one play in his film where he caught the ball with his body.  As long as his arms are, that will be a tremendous asset as he does well shielding the defender from the ball and using his length to make the catch away from his body.  He does well after the catch even though he doesn’t have elite breakaway speed.  For a big receiver his change of direction is good, and he does well breaking tackles after the catch.  Still has some growing to do or at least growing into his frame.  Seems to be a little out of control at times.  Not as physical as you’d like to see a big receiver at this stage.  Overall a very good player, and there’s a lot to build on.

Grade: 3.5

Goolsby is a matchup nightmare when you put him in space and flexed out. I consider him more of an H- back as I watched him at Tulsa pad camp and I noticed he was limited as a blocker. However, his athleticism suggests he could develop into at least an adequate blocker. He has exceptional hips which allows him to adjust to poor balls. He shows excellent ball skills for a young player. Most 6’5″ 230 pounders do not have near the agility and quickness in space that Goolsby has. Especially since once he gets into his break it only takes him about two strides to be at full speed creating a tough matchup for an LB due to quickness and a tough matchup with a safety due to his size. What I love about his game as well is his overall moxie. He won’t ever backdown from competition. I don’ts see Goolsby ever becoming a true Y/mauling blocker but more of a flex H-back similar to Travis Beckum when he was at Wisconsin.

Grade: 4.0

After watching his Goolsby’s tape he doesn’t necessarily look like a pure bred tight end. All of his highlights were of him receiving which makes me wonder about his blocking skills. You would think if he had some great blocks they would have at least highlighted a few of those plays. Although that’s a big concern for a tight end, from what I saw on the tape the boy can catch the ball! It’s not always about having hands when it comes to receiving. The way he positions himself before the catch to secure the ball is excellent. Playing tight end you’re gonna play in traffic which makes that ability a great plus. Route running is good but not great when it comes to short yardage routes. His quickness and speed is something he needs to work on for the next level. He gets away with it Kansas High school football but he will notice the change of pace very fast his first week on any campus. The bottom line for me is if he’s just going to be a receiving TE then I’d rather have a big agile WR. You get the size but a little more speed and quickness.

Grade: 3.5