Penn State Football Recruiting: How to replace Tomarrion Parker at defensive end

Dylan Gooden

A 4-star from Maryland, Dylan Gooden is the son of former MLB pitcher Dwight Gooden.

Gooden has been to Penn State multiple times over the years and put the Nittany Lions in his top group for his commitment. He did not take an official visit to Penn State back in June however, which usually means interest died off from at least one side.

Listed at 6-foot-4 and 204 pounds, it easy to see that Gooden will need to add plenty of weight to play defensive end in the Big Ten. He will likely need multiple years in a strength and development program before seeing the field.

If the staff feels that it will be difficult for Gooden to get to the desired weight for a defensive end (usually 250+ pounds) he could end up at outside linebacker. The ideal weight for playing outside linebacker is usually somewhere between 230-245 pounds, a much more doable goal.

In that case, the Nittany Lions could move 2023 linebacker commit Ta’Mere Robinson down to defensive end, a position some think will be his ultimate home anyway.

Considering his genes, Gooden is a great athlete, but Penn State will have to be patient with his development if they take him.