Florida State defensive tackle Eddie Goldman was taken off the field on a cart early during Saturday's ACC championship game, but Seminoles coach Jimbo Fisher said his star defender is fine and should be ready for the Jan. 1 Rose Bowl game against Oregon.
Goldman suffered an ankle injury on Georgia Tech's first touchdown, but during a Rose Bowl teleconference Sunday, Fisher said both Goldman and starting cornerback Ronald Darby, who suffered an arm injury in the win over Georgia Tech, "should be ready to play here in a couple of days."
Goldman (6-foot-4, 320 pounds), a junior from Washington, D.C., is one of the most talented defensive tackles in the nation. He was a consensus national top-10 prospect in the 2012 class as a defensive tackle. He played sparingly as a reserve at tackle as a true freshman, then was a starting end for the Seminoles last season, finishing with 19 tackles and two sacks. He moved back inside this season and has been dominant at times. NFL Media analysts say Goldman "has overpowered single- and double-team blocks at the point of attack to live in the opponent's backfield" this season.
His presence will be vital when FSU tries to slow Oregon's high-powered offense. Oregon hopes to have star senior center Hroniss Grasu back for the game -- he has missed three games with an unspecified leg injury -- and their one-on-one matchups will be must-watch viewing for scouts.
Darby (5-11, 195), also a junior, also was injured during the first half of the win over Georgia Tech. He is one of the fastest players in the nation -- he was a nationally ranked sprinter in high school -- and his presence also will be important against Oregon. One NFL scout old NFL Media analysts that Darby "is one of the best players I've studied this fall." Darby had some problems against Louisville and Miami, but his speed, size and aggressiveness stand out.
Mike Huguenin can be reached at mike.huguenin@nfl.com. You also can follow him on Twitter @MikeHuguenin.
