Evan Goodwin shared a post to social media of himself splitting firewood for his community, and Eli Drinkwitz wanted a piece of the action.
The Missouri head coach texted Goodwin about his small business ahead of the Super Bowl earlier this month. The two correspond at least twice a week, and with Drinkwitz active on X (formerly Twitter), he's regularly messaged Goodwin about specific posts.
"He was like, 'Yo, can I buy some?'" Goodwin recounted. "Just funny stuff like that but little encouraging comments."
That growing relationship and comfortability only strengthened Goodwin's decision to schedule an official visit to Missouri for the weekend of June 6, marking his third trip to Columbia. The Class of 2026 three-star made his most recent visit Jan. 18 for Junior Day.
"I've always known," said Goodwin about taking an official visit. "Mizzou has always been pretty high for me. They're close to home, and their coaching staff is just good people. ... My parents absolutely love Coach Drink. They find him to be absolutely awesome."
During that official visit, Goodwin wants to meet current players and learn what played into their decisions to choose Missouri without coaches across. He's looking for an honest assessment of what the program is like.
Goodwin, who added there's a possibility he's back at Missouri this spring for an unofficial visit, will also take official visits to LSU, Mississippi State, Notre Dame and Wisconsin before making a decision In August ahead of his senior year.
Goodwin fields phone calls from offensive line coach Brandon Jones at least once a week, doing checkups on what's new in their lives. One new thing for Goodwin came in recent weeks, when he transferred to Bauxite (Ark.) High from Little Rock (Ark.) Pulaski Academy.
"Honestly, I owe all of this to PA," Goodwin said. "The stuff that PA gave me in terms of intelligence and academics is unrivaled, so without them, I wouldn't be here. And I miss my guys, I do, but the only reason we had to leave is because of finances. We couldn't pay tuition."
Classwork has been a huge change, going from a college preparatory institution to a public school, but in terms of athletics, Goodwin has loved what he's learned from Bauxite coach Caleb Perry, exciting him for his final high school season.
When looking at academics for the next level, though, Goodwin has prioritized a business finance degree to better his knowledge of how to properly manage what he earns through name, image and likeness. With professional aspirations, Goodwin plans to return to college post playing career and turn his attention to mechanical engineering.
Goodwin has prioritized his development at offensive tackle, but he's also taken practice reps on the interior. That was evident Sunday at the Under Armour Next Camp Series in Dallas.
"The way I look at it, versatility is recruitability and longevity," Goodwin said, "so the more positions on the O-line I can play, the more highly I'll be recruited, not only in college, but in the league as well. It'll also make my league extend a lot longer, if I know how to play all positions."
"Evan Goodwin has a massive 6-foot-6, 315-pound frame and did his best work inside at guard," national recruiting analyst Sam Spiegelman wrote Sunday. "He packs a powerful punch and can overpower some opposing DL."
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The Missouri head coach texted Goodwin about his small business ahead of the Super Bowl earlier this month. The two correspond at least twice a week, and with Drinkwitz active on X (formerly Twitter), he's regularly messaged Goodwin about specific posts.
"He was like, 'Yo, can I buy some?'" Goodwin recounted. "Just funny stuff like that but little encouraging comments."
That growing relationship and comfortability only strengthened Goodwin's decision to schedule an official visit to Missouri for the weekend of June 6, marking his third trip to Columbia. The Class of 2026 three-star made his most recent visit Jan. 18 for Junior Day.
"I've always known," said Goodwin about taking an official visit. "Mizzou has always been pretty high for me. They're close to home, and their coaching staff is just good people. ... My parents absolutely love Coach Drink. They find him to be absolutely awesome."
During that official visit, Goodwin wants to meet current players and learn what played into their decisions to choose Missouri without coaches across. He's looking for an honest assessment of what the program is like.
Goodwin, who added there's a possibility he's back at Missouri this spring for an unofficial visit, will also take official visits to LSU, Mississippi State, Notre Dame and Wisconsin before making a decision In August ahead of his senior year.
Goodwin fields phone calls from offensive line coach Brandon Jones at least once a week, doing checkups on what's new in their lives. One new thing for Goodwin came in recent weeks, when he transferred to Bauxite (Ark.) High from Little Rock (Ark.) Pulaski Academy.
"Honestly, I owe all of this to PA," Goodwin said. "The stuff that PA gave me in terms of intelligence and academics is unrivaled, so without them, I wouldn't be here. And I miss my guys, I do, but the only reason we had to leave is because of finances. We couldn't pay tuition."
Classwork has been a huge change, going from a college preparatory institution to a public school, but in terms of athletics, Goodwin has loved what he's learned from Bauxite coach Caleb Perry, exciting him for his final high school season.
When looking at academics for the next level, though, Goodwin has prioritized a business finance degree to better his knowledge of how to properly manage what he earns through name, image and likeness. With professional aspirations, Goodwin plans to return to college post playing career and turn his attention to mechanical engineering.
Goodwin has prioritized his development at offensive tackle, but he's also taken practice reps on the interior. That was evident Sunday at the Under Armour Next Camp Series in Dallas.
"The way I look at it, versatility is recruitability and longevity," Goodwin said, "so the more positions on the O-line I can play, the more highly I'll be recruited, not only in college, but in the league as well. It'll also make my league extend a lot longer, if I know how to play all positions."
"Evan Goodwin has a massive 6-foot-6, 315-pound frame and did his best work inside at guard," national recruiting analyst Sam Spiegelman wrote Sunday. "He packs a powerful punch and can overpower some opposing DL."
Growing relationships with Mizzou staff lead Evan Goodwin to official visit
Class of 2026 three-star offensive tackle Evan Goodwin will officially visit Missouri the weekend of June 6.
