High School football in Tennessee kicked off the 2022 regular season with some Thursday night games across the state. Amongst those games, one of the premier matchups was expected to be the Brainerd Panthers visiting the Bradley Central Bears. Instead, the Bears sported a 46 point lead by halftime. The Bears set the tone behind the excellent play of their outstanding secondary, lead by junior safety Marcus Goree Jr.
Goree is a highly rated athlete prospect in the 2024 recruiting class, who can do it all for the Bears. Goree is the leader and lynchpin of a secondary that is the strength of the Bradley Central team. In the first game of the season, Goree was directing traffic amongst his teammates, looking comfortable, confident, and in control of the entire defense. His demeanor and knowledge of the defense was key in a season opener that was littered with penalties early. While Goree’s work in the film room and playbook in the offseason contributed to him playing faster and trusting his keys and calls, that only adds to what is a fantastic physical package.
Goree is an exceptional athlete, with dangerous speed, acceleration, and change of direction. Goree works smoothly in coverage, using his speed to work in man coverage or covering significant ground working as a deep safety. He has fluid hips and can turn and run easily in coverage, adjusting to route combinations designed to catch him out. Goree’s speed allows him excellent make up speed, and also allows him the opportunity to bait opposing quarterbacks into dangerous throws, as he can close a gap and use his rangy frame to attack the ball against most receivers.
The speed that Goree shows also helps the Bears when the choose to put the ball in his hands as well. The Bears work him into some offensive snaps at receiver, where his frame and quickness force adjustments in coverage even if the Bears don’t throw to him. His presence and speed on offense force teams to adjust their defense to account for him, allowing the Bears a tool to create mismatches. Goree also is the primary kick returner for the Bears, and he showed his explosiveness in that area with a 63 yard kickoff return for a touchdown in the second quarter that felt like a back breaker. Goree worked his way from one sideline to the other, using his speed and quickness to avoid defenders, before turning it up field and showcasing his top end speed.
Just one game into his junior season, Goree has shown himself to be one of the premier players in the state of Tennessee, an athlete that can impact games in all three phases. The early offer list for Goree reflects that talent, having already secured offers from Tennessee, Michigan, Michigan State, Ole Miss, Mississippi State, Louisville, Nebraska, and Notre Dame, among others. The home state Volunteers offered Goree at a prospect camp over the summer.
Goree has shown himself to be an exceptional talent, with a further two seasons to develop and improve. The contest for his commitment is likely to be an interesting one, with his versatility pushing him up boards for multiple teams. It will be interesting to watch as Goree continues to develop his talent and see which school secures his services in the 2024 class.
