Bobbin and weaving around the defense for Hampton this season has been Cameron Goggins. The senior has caught 13 passes for 303 yards and 3 touchdowns on the year, while also making an impact on defense with 4 breakups and 2 interceptions.
About every 4th catch Goggins has made so far has resulted in a touchdown, and none was bigger than last week’s clutch touchdown to beat McIntosh 56-48. With little time left, Hampton was looking for a play and senior QB Conner Tolley had to look no further than his favorite target, Cameron Goggins. He rolled out and tossed out to Goggins who leaped up, caught the pass, and simultaneously shrugged off the defensive back. With about 30 yards to go, Goggins stutter-stepped, clumping defenders together and then hit the jets splitting 4 McIntosh defenders. He left them in the dust and pulled Hampton ahead for the go ahead score.
The play earned Goggins into the top plays in the state of Georgia where he ultimately earned the #3 spot in the state of Georgia. The play was great, and encapsulates the tremendous start to the season for the senior.
“My senior year is off to an amazing start. My stats are great throughout two games, and my team is 2-0. I couldn’t ask for a better start to my last year,” he said.
This last offseason was a successful one for Goggins. On top of finishing 2nd place in 4A Triple Jump title and being an AAU track All-American, Goggins was hard at work perfecting his craft on the gridiron.
“As far as my skill set, I have gotten faster, and better in my overall technique at corner. Also, learning to move on, and forget any mistakes I make in-game. Regarding other areas, I’ve stepped up into more of a leadership role considering how young our secondary is.”
Goggins definitely looks to be hitting his top speed in just a few strides and getting around defenders with ease. He’s added about 10 lbs. of muscle to this 6’2″ frame as well, which is leading to more explosive plays. He’s averaging nearly 24 yards per catch and covering a lot of ground at defensive back where he has baited QBs into a few interceptions.
As of now, Goggins recruitment has been a bit slow but he said that the HBCU mega camp over the summer helped get him on several colleges’ radars. To put simply, if he continues his strong start to the season, then the college offers are sure to follow.
Goggins is a versatile athlete who shows both excellent ball skills as a receiver but also enticing acceleration and length to play defensive back. The senior emulates several guys in the league to fit his wide breadth of skills.
“Defensive-wise, I would say Jalen Ramsey or Sauce Gardner,” Goggins said about players he models his game after. “The attitude and swag they bring on the field impact their overall play, and I try to bring the same with myself. Offensively, I would say Jamar Chase. He’s very versatile in every aspect of the passing game, and his run after the catch is amazing.”
Goggins wheels after the catch last Friday proved similar electricity as Jamar Chase, and helped his team to a 2-0 start. With Central-Carrolton upcoming this Friday, and also a 2-0 start to the season, Hampton will be up for a tough matchup, but also a great opportunity.
For the remainder of the season, Goggins has set his goals to new personal heights and plans to leave it all on the field for his final year of high school football.
“I wanna pass my season high for every stat. I need about 300 more to pass my receiving yard high, 3 more interceptions to pass that, and 4 touchdowns. Even if I don’t pass them, I want to end my season knowing I gave everything I got. As well as, be the best teammate and athlete that I can be,” Goggins said.
Hampton is already just a game away from meeting last season’s win total, and as their success continues, that will surely attract more colleges to the program. No doubt, Goggins should not only be at the top of the list of Hornets for colleges to review, but he’s also one of the more slept-on two-way seniors still available in the state of Georgia.
The senior plays with a lot of swagger and a chip on his shoulder; colleges will be remiss to look over the 2023 talent, and we think this fall should have a lot of recruiting news for the senior talent. So be sure to follow @RecruitGeorgia on Twitter for more information on Goggins’ senior year and the rest of the athletes across the state of Georgia.
