Last Chance U: How good could Emmit Gooden be after Independence C.C.

Joining a Tennessee Volunteers’ front seven chalked full of experienced players, Last Chance U star Emmit Gooden is looking to make the most of his chance.

The Tennessee Volunteers did a nice job picking up the former Independence Community College Pirates defensive tackle and Last Chance U fan favorite Emmit Gooden. He was rated as a four-star JUCO defensive tackle prospect before committing to Tennessee.

Coming out of Last Chance U Gooden held 15 offers, with a good portion of them coming from solid SEC football programs. Some apparent finalists to land Gooden looked to be the Mississippi State Bulldogs, Arkansas Razorbacks and Tennessee. Outside of the offers from those three schools, Gooden got some looks from some of the top programs in the nation.

The Alabama Crimson Tide, Georgia Bulldogs, Florida Gators, Oklahoma Sooners, TCU Horned Frogs, Miami Hurricanes and Texas A&M Aggies all also offered Gooden. It was a huge decision for Gooden to stay home and commit to the Vols.

As a Brownsville, TN, native it looked like an easy decision for Gooden to commit to his favorite childhood team. Tennessee does usually boast a defensive line chalked full of NFL talent. That narrative should be no different with first-year head football coach Jeremy Pruitt at the helm.

Pruitt came over from being the defensive coordinator under legendary head coach Nick Saban and the Crimson Tide. Gooden could have taken the connection he had with the Crimson Tide and gone with the current top program in the nation, but he went with his loyalty to Tennessee.

Here’s a look at the situation that four-star JUCO defensive tackle Emmit Gooden finds himself in with the Tennessee Volunteers after his time at ICC for Last Chance U.