According to multiple reports and recruiting services, 2026 four-star edge Carter Gooden from Massachusetts isn't expected to take an official visit to Syracuse football from June 13 to June 15 as was originally planned.
It's not clear to me if the 6-foot-5, 255-pound Gooden will end up rescheduling his official visit to the Hill. Per his bio on 247Sports, Gooden will now officially visit Big Ten Conference member Penn State during the weekend that begins on June 13.
In recent weeks, per his X account, the top-70 national prospect has officially visited suitors such as UCLA, Arizona State, Rutgers and, most recently, Michigan State. Per recruiting Web sites and reports, Gooden seems to have upcoming official visits set to Virginia, the aforementioned Penn State, North Carolina and Boston College.
Does this signal that the Orange is out of the running for Gooden? I can't imagine it's a good sign, but we'll have to wait and see.
Four-star edge Carter Gooden, a Syracuse football target, is a fast-rising 2026 prospect.
The 6-foot-5, 255-pound Gooden, in a recent update from 247Sports, skyrocketed in the rankings for his class, arriving at No. 69 overall, No. 9 at defensive lineman and No. 1 in Massachusetts. The industry-generated On3 Industry Ranking, when I penned this column, had him at No. 180 nationally and in the top 25 at edge.
Gooden is a standout rising senior at the Tabor Academy in Marion, Mass. As a junior in the 2024 season, according to 247Sports director of scouting Andrew Ivins, Gooden registered 49 total tackles, 29 tackles for a loss, seven sacks and two forced fumbles. He was the Independent School League defensive player of the year this past term, per Ivins.
On several occasions, Gooden has unofficially visited the Orange, which is led by head coach and ace recruiter Fran Brown. According to posts on X, Gooden was at the JMA Wireless Dome last April for the team's annual spring game.
The lead Syracuse football recruiter for Gooden is defensive ends coach Nick Williams. Gooden picked up a scholarship offer from Syracuse football in April of last year.
To date, the 'Cuse staff has secured at least 15 verbal pledges in its top-20 national class in the 2026 cycle. One of those verbal commitments is from four-star edge and top-225 national prospect Jarius Rodgers out of Fleming Island High School in Fleming Island, Fla.