Auburn Football Recruiting: Armoni Goodwin Shines in Season Debut

Joe Boyd / https://twitter.com/MaxPreps/status/1297017964621750272/photo/1

Auburn’s RB commit impresses in return to action

After a devastating knee injury cut short his junior season short, 4-star RB Armoni Goodwin stepped on the field Friday night looking to get back to his old self. The Auburn commit admitted to Jason Caldwell of Inside the Auburn Tigers he was nervous about his knee and it took some time get comfortable again.

But boy did he get comfortable.

Goodwin exploded for 153 yards on 17 carries and 3 touchdowns with most of the damage coming in the 2nd half. His last touchdown, a 69 yard scamper, showed all of what makes Goodwin such a dynamic running back.

Armoni Goodwin with da dagger pic.twitter.com/9DneRBqTNO

— Tay ‍♂️ (@kvnggg_taaay) August 22, 2020

After breaking through the line of scrimmage, Goodwin hurtled a would be tackler and then turned on the jets to outrace the whole Pinson Valley defense including 5-star Ga’Quincy McKinstry for essentially the game sealing touchdown. Hewitt-Trussville went on to win 44-19.

There was a lot of D1 talent featured in this match up but it was clear during the 2nd half that Goodwin was the best player on the field. If he can stay healthy this fall don’t be surprised if Goodwin challenges for the top RB spot in this year’s class and maybe even the top spot in the state. He’s as explosive an offensive player as you will find in this 2021 recruiting class.

McKinstry’s Athleticism On Display

Calling Goodwin the best player on the field Friday night should not be construed as a shot at Ga’Quincy McKinstry. Kool-Aid battled cramps all night but still demonstrated why he’s one of the best athletes in the country. The Pinson Valley star rarely came off the field Friday night coming close to picking off a pass and catching two touchdowns.

2022 QB @zach_pyron_05 to 5-Star ATH, Ga’Quincy McKinstry @GaQMcK1.

Can always count on McKinstry to put on a show. Full Highlights will be posted @TDAlabamaMag pic.twitter.com/3MrnQMziCs

— Justin Smith (@Jdsmith31Smith) August 22, 2020

The Huskies smartly avoided his side of the field most of the night but McKinstry did end up with 90 yards receiving on 9 catches for 2 scores. However, playing so many snaps obviously had a toll on the 5-star as he repeatedly left the field to deal with cramps. Hopefully he can get that figured out moving forward.

Scooby Dominates

Auburn’s top pass rushing target, 4-star Jeremiah Williams, was virtually unblockable Friday night. Ramsay dominated Bessemer City to the tune of 38-0. The Rams held Bessemer to exactly 64 yards of offense, a big reason being their inability to slow down Scooby. Williams record 8 tackles, three being sacks and forced a fumble. Auburn remains the likely favorite to land the coveted pass rusher’s pledge but are in a dogfight with Florida, Georgia and Oklahoma. This recruitment could last until signing day.

Jeremiah Williams @officiallscoob pic.twitter.com/4g3kzOpVM7

— Patrick Greenfield (@PCGreenfield) August 22, 2020

Remember the Name Jackson Meeks

With spring practice cancelled and no summer recruiting camp events, inevitably there are some legitimate SEC caliber football players who haven’t gotten the offers or attention they should because of the lack of exposure. That’s doubly so for any kids unfortunate enough to have missed any significant time due to injuries. That’s why playing football this fall is so important for some kids. Even if it’s just a few weeks and things get canceled it could prove the difference between FCS and Power 5.

One early candidate for breakout star this fall is Central’s 3-star WR Jackson Meeks. The 6’3” 205 lb wideout missed most of his sophomore season with a knee injury. That injury lingered throughout his junior season impacting his ability as a playmaker. On Friday night, Meeks finally got a chance to show what he could do fully healthy and he didn’t disappoint.

In a tough 45-35 loss to Hoover, Meeks did all he could to pull out the W for new head coach Patrick Nix. Meeks caught 13 passes for 204 yards and 3 touchdowns. Those are the type of eye popping stats that will catch coaching staffs attention. With Auburn currently focused on flipping some wide receivers for this 2021 class, it wouldn’t surprise me to see the Tigers take a real close look at Meeks especially if this type of production continues.

Central-Phenix City 28, Hoover 21 | 1:02 2Q | Caleb Nix to Jackson Meeks on a 33-yard touchdown pass play for the Red Devils. Bucs hold Central in the red zone, but a Bucs 3 and out gave Central-Phenix City good field position and a few plays later TD Red Devils. @CHSREDDEVILS pic.twitter.com/8P3tEGK8wj

— Alabama7AFootball (@AL7AFootball) August 22, 2020

War Eagle!

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