Illinois is bolstering its tight end position with proven college talent. Carson Goda, a standout from Division-II Saint Anselm College, committed to Illinois on Monday after an official campus visit. The 6-foot-3, 225-pound tight end from Bradenton, Florida, has one season of eligibility left.
Previously committed to Oregon State, Goda played 29 games over three seasons at Saint Anselm, recording 122 receptions for 1,456 yards and 12 touchdowns. As a sophomore, he caught 50 passes for 594 yards and four touchdowns, earning Second Team Northeast 10 All-Conference honors. In his junior year, he had 48 receptions for 566 yards and five touchdowns, again making Second Team Northeast 10 All-Conference and receiving All-American honorable mention.
This addition is significant because Goda is the second tight end transfer to join Illinois this offseason. Earlier, Illinois acquired four-star Murray State transfer Cole Rusk, an FCS All-American last fall. The Illini needed reinforcements after losing their two most productive tight ends: two-year starter and team captain Tip Reiman, who joined the NFL as a third-round pick by the Arizona Cardinals (19 receptions, 203 yards, 3 TDs), and sixth-year senior Griffin Moore (12 receptions, 161 yards, 1 TD), who entered the transfer portal.
Goda provides Illinois with another dynamic receiving option alongside Rusk. While Tanner Arkin and Henry Boyer are strong blocking options, Rusk and Goda bring more fluidity and athleticism to the receiving game.
Rusk offers more length and size, whereas Goda brings more experience. At a minimum, Goda adds depth and can create mismatches in subpackages. Ideally, he competes with Rusk for significant playing time as an experienced playmaker for returning starting quarterback Luke Altmyer.
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