Chase Goodrich had 16 FBS programs chasing him. But Navy, Boston College and Purdue were also in the mix. He picked none of them.

The 6-foot-1 and 275 LB defensive lineman from St. Thomas Aquinas in Florida committed to Army on Thursday. He called head coach Jeff Monken and his staff to deliver the news with his family right there beside him.

“In the end, no school could compare to West Point, and it wasn’t even close,” said Goodrich. “They (his family) were very excited for me, and that moment definitely felt like the best decision I have made, and it was a huge weight off my shoulders.”

His older brother Phillip made the same call before him.

Phillip Goodrich was originally committed to the Navy before flipping to the Army's 2026 class, per On3. Now Chase has followed him to West Point. The two brothers will play on the same college football team, with Phillip at linebacker and Chase on the defensive line.

"Playing with Phillip is a major part because our positions complement each other, and bringing that natural connection we have had since a young age and throughout high school and being able to dominate opposing offenses together is exciting," Goodrich said, per Black Knight Nation.

It was not just about his brother, though. West Point itself won him over in ways other schools simply could not match.

"In the end, no school could compare to West Point, and it wasn't even close," Goodrich said. "They were very excited for me, and that moment definitely felt like the best decision I have made, and it was a huge weight off my shoulders."

He also talked about what the Army offers beyond football.

"Coming to my decision, it was what Army West Point had to offer academically, athletically, and in life overall, as well as the brotherhood and the culture they have there," Goodrich said. "And I felt that I would fit in there perfectly."

Away from football, Goodrich spends time building custom cars with his father. He has learned sheet metal work and welding. Skills he plans to carry well beyond his playing days.

"I have always had an interest in the performance of cars," Goodrich said. "I learned how to work with sheet metal, welding, and a lot of major things that will help me later on in my life."

Goodrich has been a two-year varsity starter at St. Thomas Aquinas. At six-foot-one and 285 pounds, he has been playing defensive line since he was five years old.

Army Has Been Building Its 2027 Class Around Brotherhood

The Goodrich commitment is not the only family storyline in the Army's 2027 class. The Black Knights also landed Rett Daniels and Luke Leone, both second-generation Army players.

Three commitments with deep family ties to the program are not a coincidence. It speaks to what coach Jeff Monken sells when he recruits. The culture and the brotherhood are the pitch, and it is clearly landing.

Army went 7-6 in 2025 and reached the Wasabi Fenway Bowl. For a program built on values over star ratings, the kind of recruits they are pulling in fits exactly who they are.

What do you think? Let us know in the comments.

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Written by

Farheen Fathima

Edited by

Shubhi Rathore