GLENN GUILBEAU, Tiger Rag Editor
If new LSU defensive tackle Bernard Gooden can get under Clemson quarterback Cade Klubnik’s skin in two weeks the way he did with LSU quarterback Garrett Nussmeier in a recent scrimmage, Gooden may rule “Death Valley Junior.”
No. 9 LSU opens the season at No. 4 Clemson in its Death Valley, which LSU coach Brian Kelly tagged a “junior” on Aug. 30 (6:30 p.m., ABC). And Gooden plans on roaring as loud as he has through August practices.
LSU DEFENSIVE TACKLE BERNARD GOODEN COMPLETE VIDEO INTERVIEW
“He is high energy,” LSU defensive coordinator Blake Baker said this week. “You all probably hear him more than anyone on the field.”
Nussmeier heard him loud and clear after the defense continually stuffed the offense during a scrimmage last Saturday.
“I thought this was the SEC,” Gooden yelled at Nussmeier mockingly. “I thought this was the great SEC.”
Gooden, a fifth-year senior, is new to the Southeastern Conference, having spent the previous two seasons at South Florida in the American Athletic Conference (recently renamed the American Conference) and 2021 and ’22 at Wake Forest in the Atlantic Coast Conference.
His trash talking, though, is SEC caliber.
“Just getting at another guy, trying to get in his head, throw him off his game, you know,” Gooden said. “Just a couple of friendly words. I feel like I get better as I trash-talk.”
LSU DEFENSIVE COORDINATOR BLAKE BAKER ON LAST YEAR
Baker likes what he is hearing and seeing from Gooden, despite his smallish size for an interior defensive lineman at 6-foot-1 and 268 pounds.
“I love it. That was a great pickup,” Baker said of another key NCAA portal addition from Kelly’s No. 1-ranked transfer class. “Bernard Gooden has been a joy in every sense of the word to coach. In today’s game, a lot of really successful defensive tackles are going to be between 280 and 305 pounds.”
Gooden overcomes the weight disadvantage with quickness. In 13 games and 11 starts last season at South Florida, he made 35 tackles with 10 for loss, two fumble recoveries, two passes broken up, two passes defended and 1.5 sacks.
“The thing that he does really well, because he is so twitchy and has such good get-off, is that his second foot is in the ground before the offensive lineman,” Baker said. “So, even though he might be giving up 30 pounds, he’s able to get leverage and get power. And the offensive lineman doesn’t have his second foot in the ground.”
Baker was initially concerned about Baker’s lack of size.
“One of the things that we did through the evaluation process, obviously being an undersized guy, is really evaluate him hard against the run,” he said. “And we really liked what we saw, and we really like what we see up to this point. He’s done a great job creating havoc and holding point.”
Gooden is a late bloomer. Last season was his only good one. He red-shirted in 2021 at Wake Forest after signing out of Park Crossing High in Montgomery, Alabama, as a three-star prospect and the No. 58 player in Alabama. He played as a reserve in 12 games in 2022, making seven tackles with half a sack. After transferring to South Florida, he missed all but two games of the ’23 season for academic issues.
“I’ve still got a long way to go,” he said.
But his drive and passion are high performance.
“One thing I would say (that sets him apart) is my motor,” he said. “That’s one thing I try to do is not get tired, especially against the big boys. It’s just my drive. I don’t want to get tired. You love what you, you go hard.”
And he makes the most of his lack of height, improving his all-important leverage against larger offensive linemen.
“That’s one thing I’m grateful for,” he said. “I’m not super talll, so it’s not hard for me to stay low. I can get lower.”
Gooden’s voice can get high and loud, though.
“He did a little bit,” Gooden said in a very high voice while laughing when asked if he got to Nussmeier in the scrimmage. “That’s how you know the trash talk is working.”
It was just talk, though.
“That’s my dog,” he said. “Garrett’s my buddy. I talk to Garrett every day. But that’s how we compete, man, on the field. That’s competition right there. That’s all day – getting in his head.”
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