Offers flowing in for Florida 2025 three-star RB/LB Xavier Goulbourne
Written by Ryan Wright
Twitter: @RyanWrightRNG
The foundation has been set, a skill player at Florida’s Carrollwood Day High School (Tampa), you know said player is a college level talent. The next in the long line of Patriots headed to the D-I level is Xavier Goulbourne.
The 2022 season set the foundation for Goulbourne (6-2, 210) playing running back and linebacker, this fall he will be turned loose.
“This year I am playing running back and linebacker,” Goulbourne said. “I will be at inside linebacker more, but I may move to outside linebacker later in the season to try it out.”
The rising three-star talent shared his offseason workouts.
“At running back, I am working on my speed and being flexible, my hip movement, and getting out of the hole faster,” Goulbourne stated. “I am working on my overall speed, getting in the gap and accelerating where no one can catch me. At linebacker, I am working on my lateral quickness, moving side to side, my footwork, and reading gap assignments.”
Since late April, when Michigan offered, teams like Cincinnati, Florida Atlantic, Michigan State, Ole Miss, Tennessee, and Louisville have joined the club. Like him at running back or linebacker, Goulbourne is juiced to play wherever.
“I don’t really have a preference,” Goulbourne shared. “With my body, I’m still young; I am not sure how tall or big I will get. For now, I like playing running back better I would say.”
With the jump to 16 offers this spring, Goulbourne is taking the spike with recruiting humbly.
“It has been crazy,” Goulbourne said. “It is a blessing upon a blessing. I remember being a young kid dreaming of being here. Being here, it is a blessing. It is different, and life changing. I have to keep showing up and working.”
This spring, Goulbourne made the long trip to Eugene to hang with the Ducks.
“It was cool,” Goulbourne stated. “It was different. I had fun being able to watch them practice and touring the campus.”
Asked what stood out to him during the visit with Oregon, Goulbourne replied, “Their coaches, their facilities, that was No. 1, and their practice; their tempo in practice and the intensity.”
Goulbourne got to spend time with Ducks’ defensive coordinator/linebackers coach Tosh Lupoi and running backs coach Carlos Locklyn.
“I talked to their linebackers and running backs coaches,” Goulbourne shared. “We talked about how I play and the type of person I am on and off the field.”
This summer, Goulbourne will rack up the frequent flier miles.
“For this summer, I am setting up some visits and maybe some camps,” Goulbourne stated. “I am probably going to Michigan, Tennessee, Cincinnati, Michigan State, Notre Dame, and maybe some of the Florida schools like UCF, FSU, and Florida.”