Four-star linebacker, Dylan Gooden, stays home and commits to Maryland

Photo Credit: on3.com

Four-star linebacker, Dylan Gooden, announced Sunday morning that he has committed to the University of Maryland. Shortly after his commitment, Gooden caught up with me to discuss what went into the decision to commit to the Terrapins.

Gooden is a 6-foot-4, 204-pound linebacker from Our Lady Good Counsel HS in Olney, Maryland. According to the On3 rankings, Gooden is ranked as the No. 28 linebacker in the country, the No. 4 recruit in Maryland, and the No. 282 overall recruit in the country.

The decision to commit to Maryland for Gooden was easy because the campus is very close to home, as the university is about a 30 minute drive from Olney.

“Maryland really just felt like home because it is at home,” Gooden said.

Not only that, but for a school that is already very close to home for Gooden, the coaching staff made him feel even more at home, regardless of distance.

“Coach Locks [Locksley] keeps it straight up with his players and everyone,” Gooden said.

Gooden chose the Terrapins over Rutgers, Penn State, West Virginia and more. With his commitment, Maryland now holds the No. 39 ranked recruiting class in the 247sports rankings.

“It [Maryland] felt like a family,” Gooden said. “I wanted to be apart of from the jump.”