Following the No. 2 Michigan football team’s resounding victory over Minnesota, Michigan coach Jim Harbaugh had high praise for several of his players.
Sophomore defensive lineman Mason Graham was “dominant.” Junior quarterback J.J. McCarthy “really jumped out in (his) mind,” and graduate defensive lineman Cam Goode was “really coming on.”
In his Monday press conference, Harbaugh doubled down on Goode. This time focusing on his growth.
“Cam Goode, he had his best game,” Harbaugh said.
And for Goode, a graduate transfer from UCF, his journey to this point has been slow and marked by patience. In his first campaign with the Wolverines last season, he saw limited action and totaled just eight tackles throughout the year. But in just six games this season, Goode has already surpassed those numbers.
On an already stacked defensive line with Graham, senior Braiden McGregor and senior Kris Jenkins, Goode has had to split snaps. But against the Gophers, he made his 13 chances count, registering a solo tackle, assisting on three more (one for loss) and recording a quarterback hurry.
This season, his role has expanded by carving out a niche for himself at a competitive position, routinely playing. And Goode attributes a large portion of this recent success to a patient, cerebral approach to football.
“I see me waiting and me being patient has come to fruition,” Goode said Monday. “I’m very proud of my process of me just staying down through the hard times and keepin’ on working with (strength) coach Herb and (defensive line) coach Elston. Just sharpening my pencil and becoming the person I am today.”
With Graham’s emergence as the premier facet of the defensive line and the overall strength of Michigan’s defense, Goode will rarely be the sole focus of opponents’ game plan. But he has turned himself into a reliable option that gives Harbaugh confidence in a “rally group” approach in which defensive lineman frequently rotate to preserve stamina.
That, along with intense practices, have led to Goode finding the games to be less stressful and more a continuation of built up practices.
“Every Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday, we go out here and we work,” Goode said. “Our coaches let us know (after games) that we won the game at practice. And like, when we come out of those practices, we are definitely banged up … and it kind of builds a callous so that when we get out there on Saturday, the game is kind of easy. It’s just another practice rehearsal.”
Goode has clearly earned Harbaugh’s trust. There were games last season in which Goode played no snaps. Already this year, he has shared defensive player of the game honors twice.
But there were points early on where even Goode doubted himself. When speaking of his decision to transfer to Michigan, Goode pointed out moments where he questioned his own capability.
“I didn’t know if my mindset was good enough to be here,” Goode said. “My teammates accepted me, and I was very humbled knowing that they saw something in me. … Sometimes we don’t get immediate results, but staying down through the process and trusting my coaches, I’m seeing the results and I’m talking to you guys about it.”
Now, two years later, Goode has grown into the type of player that he questioned whether or not he could be. And while it took time last season, it has taken him very little time this year to prove his abilities to his teammates, to Harbaugh and to himself.