Recruiting coming into focus for 2026 Arkansas 4-star OT Evan Goodwin

Arkansas 2026 4-star OT Evan Goodwin updates recruiting process.

Evan Goodwin at OSU with coach Charlie Dickey and coach Jordan Johnson. / Goodwin family

A talented quarterback is a must-have for the modern college football game, but for a team to have a productive field general, they need a lockdown offensive tackle protecting the blindside. Evan Goodwin (6-7, 315) is all that and then some.

When Pulaski Academy (Little Rock) is rolling, there are few Arkansas high school squads that can keep up. They Bruins were no strangers to laying 60-plus points on the opposition during the 2024 season. The guy at left tackle anchoring the line is Goodwin.

“We are a pro style offense. We do more passing than anything,” Goodwin said. “We rarely run. A crazy stat, during my sophomore year, in over 860 snaps, 670 were in pass pro.”

Humble about his overall strength, the Class of 2026 prospect is striving for greatness.

“My pass pro is a strength,” Goodwin shared. “I haven’t worked on my run blocking enough to say I have a handle on it. I am good at zone, but my gap game could use some work.”

Goodwin continued covering his offseason focus, “Legs. A lot of speed work; I want to get my 40 below 5 (seconds) if I can. I want in the 4.8 to 4.9 range. I will do a lot of lower body strength work; I struggled with that. I feel that I was not strong enough for some defenders with my legs. Run blocking – it will be all run blocking this summer pretty much.”

Tossing defenders around the classification 7A field like rag dolls, Goodwin’s strength comes from a great foundation in the weight room.

“My bench was 320; I want to get to 350 this offseason,” Goodwin stated. “My squat was 500, I believe 275 on power clean, and my deadlift was in the 500 range, maybe 550. Those are the numbers I remember.”

Holding 19 offers, college coaches like what they see in Goodwin.

“At Wisconsin, coach (AJ) Blazek (OL) likes my size, but more than that likes my athleticism,” Goodwin said. “He likes that I can run, and he likes my footwork in pass pro. The same with coach (Charlie) Dickey at Oklahoma State. What they like the most is my leadership abilities, my natural inclination to help people. I like to help people; coaches have liked that at camps.”

An already impressive offers sheet that includes Arkansas, Florida State, Missouri, LSU, Georgia Tech, South Carolina, Oklahoma, Wisconsin, Texas A&M, and TCU is lining up to add more names.

“SMU, Kansas, Kansas State, Georgia, Miami, Notre Dame, Tulane, and Dartmouth are showing interest,” Goodwin shared.

The teams hitting up his phone the most were listed.

“LSU, Oklahoma State, Wisconsin, Texas A&M, Notre Dame, Kansas, Oklahoma, and there are some others I can’t think of,” Goodwin stated. “And Arkansas. I love coach (Sam) Pittman; he’s a great guy.”

Saturday visits this fall were taken to Arkansas, LSU, Wisconsin, Oklahoma State, Missouri, and Georgia. Goodwin updated his stops at Arkansas, LSU, and Oklahoma State.

Arkansas: “Everyone treats me well there. It’s not the game day that impresses me at Arkansas; during a spring practice visit, I took grandfather and mother. We were in a room with coach Pittman, he treated my grandfather with the most respect; that spoke volumes to me. Seeing him treat my grandfather with that respect means a lot to me.”

LSU: “It was great. The food was fantastic. Coach (Brad) Davis (OL) is really a straight up guy. He is honest. There is no sugar coating with him. He will give it to you with a little salt if he wants to. I appreciate that. Coach Blazek does the same thing, he will be honest with you.”

Oklahoma State: “I have been up there the most of all. Oklahoma State is close to home. We have friends and family there. I really like Oklahoma State for the reasons I like Arkansas and coach Pittman, they were really respectful to my family. I took my aunt and uncle with me to Oklahoma State, they blew me out of the water with how much they loved me and my family. The respect and hospitality they showed means a lot to me.”

Future trips are in the works.

“I could possibly go to Notre Dame,” Goodwin said. "I want to see coach (Joe) Rudolph again. I will take some official visits during the spring and summer.”

Asked if there are any schools already on his OV list, Goodwin replied, “Yes and no. I have a few I know I want to do and will do. There are some that are toss ups right now.”