Film Don't Lie | Aiden Gobaira
Pressure equals production when it comes to rushing the passer. Notre Dame was great at it in the 2018 and 2019 seasons and it’s a huge reason why they finished fifth and sixth in pass efficiency defense.
Cincinnati was great at it last year and they finished third in that category with Marcus Freeman coordinating the defense. Both he and defensive line coach Mike Elston know the value of pass rushers, which is why they must be very happy with the addition of Aiden Gobaira to the 2022 class.
He has some areas of his game he needs to improve, but his potential as a pass rusher is sky high.
Height: 6’5”
Weight: 225
Projected Position: Vyper
ISD Grade: 90 (4-star)
National Average Grade: 89.3 (4-star)
What he does best:
I know when Brian Kelly is talking about traits, he’s referring to things that aren’t really related to the field. When I write about traits with a prospect I’m referring to his physical and athletic tools. Gobaira has all of the traits that can translate well as a pass rusher.
He shows a great first step. He has legitimately great twitch and good snap anticipation.
He’s long and sometimes that can mean stiff for an edge defender. That’s not the case with Gobaira. He can run the hoop and turn the corner to get to the quarterback.
Just as important as all of that is his motor. He plays hard and his hustle stands out. He’s a very strong chase player versus the run and will get opportunities at sacks simply through hard work.
What he needs to improve:
He was very skinny as a sophomore. He has added weight since then, but that’s clearly going to be a point of emphasis with him because he relies on his athleticism and not power.
I’ll be very interested to watch him play this spring to see what kind of player he can be at the point of attack. He didn’t establish with his hands as a sophomore and only his effort helped him set the edge. That’s not going to be good enough at the college level so it will be a great sign if he can improve on this over the next two seasons.
What’s his ceiling?
Gobaira did not play a junior season in the state of Virginia, but he showed plenty as a sophomore that shows he has great tools to work with.
Watching him reminds me a lot of Julian Okwara as a prospect. He was also skinny and relied on twitch and effort. He eventually developed at Notre Dame where he became a solid player setting the edge and one of the better pass rushers in college football.
That is the ceiling for Gobaira if he can start putting things together as a junior. I have him ranked as a low 4-star prospect right now, but he could move up significantly after this season. Irish fans should be excited about his potential.
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