Prized DT Eddie Goldman set for Signing Day splash

By Sam Stejskal, SI.com

For five-star defensive tackle Eddie Goldman, National Signing Day can't come soon enough.

The Friendship Collegiate Academy (Washington D.C.) standout will announce his decision live on ESPNU just after 10 a.m. ET on Wednesday. Goldman, who made up his mind last week, will attend Alabama, Auburn or Florida State.

"I'm really looking forward to announcing," he said. "I just can't wait 'til Wednesday."

Goldman's announcement will end a long and occasionally exhausting courtship that saw him receive more than 50 offers and take more than a dozen unofficial visits. It's all been a bit much for the 6-foot-4, 307-pounder, who's tried his best to avoid the hype -- and the thousands of phone calls, text messages and Facebook requests that accompany it -- while narrowing his list of schools.

"I get like 100 requests a day on Facebook," he said. "It's amazing, but at the same time you got to block all that out because it's not important."

There's good reason so many clamored for Goldman's attention. He boasts mammoth size, undeniable strength and an explosive first step for an interior lineman. Rivals ranks him as the nation's No. 7 overall prospect and the top defensive tackle in the class of 2012.

Alabama coach Nick Saban, Auburn coach Gene Chizik and Florida State coach Jimbo Fisher all paid Goldman in-home visits. Those trips were important -- even if he's not one to fall for a little sweet talk.

"He's soft spoken," Friendship coach Aazaar Abdul-Rahim said. "But I think he's a kid who has a strong head on his shoulders. He's not a follower and this entire decision was spearheaded by him."

Despite possessing more than enough talent to contribute as a freshman, Goldman is considering the bigger picture in his college choice. Though he'd love to play from day one, he's more concerned with developing than starting in his first year.

"All the schools are going to give me a chance to compete for a starting spot, but starting isn't always important," he said. "I can play but not start and still learn at the same time as a freshman. My sophomore year I plan to start if everything goes correct."

He added, "The final deciding factors for me choosing a school were the teams' future, how it's going to be in a year or two and my comfort level with the team and the coaching staff."

For now, however, Goldman isn't concerned with any of that. He's simply excited to announce, bringing a temporary end to the endless attention he's received over the past few years.

"Now that I've made a decision it's kind of like a weight's been lifted off my shoulders," he said. "Sometimes you're confident and you feel like it's over and sometimes you're not sure, but I'm sure this time around."

He added, "It's going to be a fun experience."