Player Spotlight: RB Frank Goodin, ULM Warhawks

June 13th, 2008 by Daniel Freer

The Scene: Bryant-Denny Stadium, November 17th, 2007. A back-up tailback scores the game-tying third-quarter touchdown in one of the biggest upsets of the season, as Louisiana-Monroe stunned Alabama 21-14 in front of announced crowd of over 92,000…the vast majority Crimson Tide fans.

That back-up tailback, Frank Goodin (right, Icon SMI) , is now the starting tailback for the Warhawks for the 2008 season.

It would be wise for all fantasy players to get familiar with the quick and diminutive RB (5-9, 196), for he will be one of the key break-out players this season.

Goodin, a redshirt-sophomore, played high-school football at Louisiana powerhouse West Monroe High School. Signing and redshirting with the Warhawks in 2006, Goodin saw a lot of playing time in 2007 even though ULM already had a star in its backfield, Calvin Dawson.

Although Dawson got the majority of the work last season, Goodin’s stats as a backup were impressive: 596 yards rushing, 5.1 yards per carry, and 4 rushing TDs, adding 117 yards and 1 TD receiving. Plus, Goodin produced two 100+ yard rushing games, including a 102 yard effort at Clemson in only the second college game of his career.

Another plus for Goodin in 2008 will be the lack of depth at the RB position for the Warhawks, which means there will not be as much ball-sharing in the ULM backfield this season. Goodin not only will not have Calvin Dawson ahead of him on the depth chart….he will not have a lot behind him, either. Expect a lot of carries and receptions out of the backfield for Goodin.

The Warhawks offense returns starting QB Kinsmon Lancaster and NFL prospect Zeek Zacharie at TE. Although the offensive line will have two or three new starters in 2008, the line will return three-year starters Aaron Schutz and Larry Shappley . ULM head coach Charlie Weatherbie has done a good job keeping up the level of talent and depth at the school, so the losses of starters on the line will not be much of an effect on Goodin’s production.

Another plus for Goodin is that ULM’s schedule will not be as difficult in 2008 as compared to 2007. After the opener at Auburn, the Warhawks will face out-of-conference games at Arkansas, home vs. Alabama A&M, and at Tulane, with a November 15 game at Ole Miss…and the games between Arkansas and Ole Miss are actually competitive ones for the Warhawks, with both of those programs on the way down in the SEC. Within the Sun Belt Conference, ULM gets both conference front-runners Troy and Florida Atlantic in Monroe.

Starting position, good supporting cast on offense, and a not-too-difficult schedule: All good reasons to expect Frank Goodin to be one of the fantasy break-out players in 2008.

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