Iowa State Still in the Picture for Golding

(This article originally appeared on iowastate.rivals.com.)

Evanston (Ill.) defensive end Nickcaro Golding feels right at home fielding offers from major college football programs. The 6-foot-1, 215-pound pass rush specialist had never stepped on the gridiron until last fall, and he's been on the radar of several coaching staffs for over half of his entire football career.

"I wasn't good at soccer, which was the only sport I was playing two years ago," says Golding, a senior at Evanston Township High School, just north of Chicago. After growing a few inches in the summer of 2005, Golding caught the attention of the football staff. "Coach Healy told me I could be a Division I player, and just forced me to try out."

Healy's foresight as paid off for Golding, who is rated as the no. 18 prospect in the state of Illinois for 2007, according to Rivals.com. The Wildkit standout is currently holding offers from Illinois, Purdue, Iowa State, Kansas State, West Virginia, Colorado and, according to Golding, "just about everyone in the MAC."

While Golding has yet to visit any suitors and doesn't plan to commit until the high school football season concludes, Rich Rodriguez and West Virginia appear the early leader in securing the services of one of the North Shore's hottest commodities. If signing day were tomorrow, Golding's top five would be, in order: WVU, Purdue, Colorado, Michigan and Iowa State.

Persistence is paying off for those courting Evanston Township's most famous recently retired soccer player, as the two schools at the top of the leaderboard, West Virginia and Purdue, have been making the hardest push all along.

The Mountaineers and Boilers have also been the first to cement an official visit from Golding. He will visit West Lafayette on Sept. 23, and Morgantown the first week of December. He has also spoken with Boston College, Colorado and Wisconsin about visiting, but has yet to make official travel plans.

Since Michigan, Golding's fourth choice, has yet to formally offer, it seems that Iowa State might be a definite tier behind the top three candidates. However, according to Golding, he's not ready to count out Ames as a potential college destination.

"I liked the guy I talked to down there, Coach Fitch," Golding said. "For recruiting, everything for me is about the coaching staff. Because if I can't get down there to see the program, or meet the other coaches, or see the facilities, all I can do is take the vibe I get from one coach. And Coach Fitch seemed like a cool guy."

Another selling point for Golding is Iowa State's recruitment of his teammate, OLB/FB Kendale Farlow. If either Farlow or Golding visits Ames in the coming months, they will likely come together.

At just over 210 pounds, some coaches have suggested to Golding he might be a better fit as a linebacker at the college level. This potential change doesn't bother him a bit. "I'm a real competitive guy," he said. "I don't care where I play at all. I just want to play."

Regardless of his collegiate position, Golding has his sights set on immediate playing time. "Nobody thought I could play last year, because I never played football before, but I did." He then declared, "I'm gonna sit out a year to get my weight up, but sophomore year, I'm gonna play. I will play."