Envisioning Roles for Florida's Transfers: OL Kiyaunta Goodwin

All Gators is projecting roles and fits for each of Florida's 2023 offseason transfers. Up next: Offensive tackle Kiyaunta Goodwin.

Photo: Kiyaunta Goodwin; Credit: Florida Gators Creative Media 

When Billy Napier arrived in Gainesville, he made his plans for Florida football clear: Tear everything down and rebuild the Gators from scratch.

If Napier's transparency throughout his first offseason in charge wasn't enough to convince UF fans of that reality, his last two months as the program's head coach certainly should.

Since the second half of November 2022, Florida completed its first repeat losing season in the SEC since the 1950s, saw 22 scholarship players enter the transfer portal, welcomed ten FBS transfers into the university after acquiring six last offseason and signed Napier's first complete high school recruiting class, a haul including two or more signees at six different positions.

Florida football is going to look different in Napier's second year at the helm, undoubtedly. Whether it will be improved or not remains to be seen, but the incoming transfers — the majority of them, at least — will be expected to push the Gators in the right direction sooner rather than later.

All Gators is projecting roles for every Florida transfer acquisition ahead of the 2023 season. Having covered quarterback Graham Mertz, running back Cameron Carroll, guard Micah Mazzccua and tackle Damieon George Jr. already, next we'll look into UF's most recent offensive line addition, former Kentucky tackle Kiyaunta Goodwin.

Of Florida's three offensive line transfers in, Goodwin carries the most potential of the trio as a 6-foot-7.5, 359-pound former consensus five-star prospect from the class of 2022.

A product of Charlestown (Ind.) High and "obviously a highly regarded player coming out" in the words of Napier upon his transfer to UF, Goodwin signed with Kentucky over 62 other offers, with programs such as Alabama, Clemson, Ohio State, Michigan State, Michigan and even Florida pressing for his services during his prep career.

Here's what 247Sports' Allen Trieu had to say about Goodwin's skill set and potential in his high school scouting report.

Physical specimen who has done a fantastic job re-shaping his body. At that same time, he has worked on explosiveness and that training has gotten him moving very well at his size. Plays with physicality and intensity. Finishes his blocks. Coordinated enough on his feet to drive defenders and stay balanced. Shows he can get out of his stance quickly in pass pro. Still refining technique with his hands and punch but has all of the qualities to be a true blindside protector at the next level. Has tremendous upside and willingness to work on his body is a good sign and he needs to continue to make sure he keeps his weight manageable because he is a naturally massive person. Has the potential to be a franchise type of left tackle. There is still some rawness here, but his trajectory has gone upward.

However, Goodwin received minimal playing time at Kentucky despite being the Wildcats' third-highest-rated signee in football program history.

While he appeared in 12 contests for Kentucky as a freshman, Goodwin earned a mere three snaps on the offensive line throughout the campaign (per Pro Football Focus) after competing with redshirt freshman David Wohlabaugh Jr. to start at left tackle during the preseason and losing the battle. 

Goodwin took the field for field goals and extra points in every game of the regular season, accumulating 53 total snaps on special teams, before entering the transfer portal on Dec. 17, 2022.

In an interview with Jacob Rudner of 247Sports, Goodwin's personal trainer and legal guardian as a teenager, former Louisville receiver Chris Vaughn, provided insight regarding the tackle's first season of college and what he was looking for in the transfer portal. 

A structured nutritional program to keep Goodwin's frame in check was a priority. He weighed around 440 pounds at one point in high school, per Vaughn, but has demonstrated the ability and maturity to cut down when necessary.

“Florida did a great job of laying out a blueprint for him from their nutritionists in order to help him keep his weight in check,” Vaughn said. “It was a plan that I think will really benefit him and help him keep the weight down and stay the course and mature in the areas he still struggles in a little bit.

“He needs to be in a situation where there’s a lot of structure day in and day out and where he can thrive because he learns how to make the right choices when he’s on his own doing things like meal prep. He lost like 55 pounds in five weeks. The kid has the work ethic and the willingness to prepare but it’s when he’s on his own that he has his struggles.”

So long as Florida and Goodwin both follow through on their ends of the bargain, the once highly-coveted recruit will have ample opportunity to make an impact with the Gators over the remainder of his college career, perhaps even immediately.

As we thoroughly addressed in Mazzccua and George's profiles, Florida's offensive line lost four of its five starters this offseason with left tackle Richard Gouraige and right guard O'Cyrus Torrence entering the NFL Draft and both left guard Ethan White and right tackle Michael Tarquin transferring to Southern California. 

Given their playing experience, Mazzccua is viewed as an uncontested starter at guard while George is believed to have a leg up on his competition at tackle considering his three career starts and three seasons at the college level, at least from the outside looking in. One starting tackle spot is considered Freshman All-American Austin Barber's role to lose after impressing in 2022. 

However, Goodwin should find himself in a position to compete with George to start opposite Barber in 2023 if he follows his development track at UF. We'll see if that is the case come spring and fall training camp. 

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