Clemson has planned to take a pair of defensive ends in the 2021 class and filled those spots with commitments from four-stars Cade Denhoff and Zaire Patterson.

However, the Tigers are not ruling out the possibility of adding one more defensive end in this cycle and thus continue to recruit Fort Washington (Md.) National Christian Academy four-star Monkell Goodwine as a potential oversign candidate at the position. The 6-foot-4, 265-pounder is ranked as high as the No. 5 strong-side defensive end and No. 27 overall prospect in the country by Rivals.

A month before Patterson decided to join Clemson’s 2021 class, the Tigers dispensed an offer to Goodwine on April 22, a day after five-star defensive end Korey Foreman decommitted.

On Saturday, Goodwine revealed the primary contenders in his recruitment when he released a top five that included Clemson along with Alabama, Texas A&M, Kentucky and Arizona State.

“I love Clemson,” Goodwine told The Clemson Insider after dropping his short list on Twitter.

Goodwine has stayed in regular contact with Clemson coaches and hopped on a Zoom call last week with members of the staff, including head man Dabo Swinney. He is certainly intrigued by the Tigers and hopes to get a closer look at the program after the NCAA dead period is over and recruits are allowed to take visits again.

“I speak to the coaches daily and would love to see what they have to offer,” he said.

Goodwine says he doesn’t have a specific order of top schools within his top five, but that the Tigers are in a good spot among his favorites.

“I’m not putting anyone over top of anyone right now,” he said, “but Clemson is in good shape with me. Would love to play with and against the best day in and day out.”

Goodwine is not expected to render his commitment in the near future as he would ideally like to make official visits later this year before moving toward a decision.

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