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HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL

Tabor standouts select UCLA

Gooden, Almada will join Bruins prior to 2026 season

Tabor Academy defensive lineman Marcus Almada will play college football at UCLA. JESUS RAMIREZ — UCLA COURTESY PHOTO

Tabor Academy football star Carter Gooden will play at UCLA with teammate Marcus Almada. JESUS RAMIREZ — UCLA COURTESY PHOTO

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By Danny Ventura

donato.ventura@bostonherald.com

Defensive linemen Carter Gooden and Marcus Almada spent their junior year at Tabor Academy terrorizing enemy offenses.

The two decided Thursday they would continue as a tandem at the next level.

Gooden and Almada announced via social media they are verbally committing to playing their football at UCLA in the fall of 2026. Almada said it was simply a case of UCLA checking off all the boxes.

“When I discussed it with my parents, we were looking at three things,” said the 6-foot-4, 280-pound Almada, who transferred in from Bishop Hendricken prior to the start of the 2025 season. “The academics were very important, my relationship with the coaches and what the environment was like since I was going to be living there.

“UCLA just felt like it was a home away from home. The academics are good, I liked the coaches and I love that UCLA is right in the middle of Los Angeles.”

Like Almada, Gooden was a first-year junior at Tabor. A native of Hamilton, Ontario, the 6-foot-4, 260-pounder was referred to Tabor Academy coach Jeff Moore by Justin Dillon of 730 Scouting.

“Justin reached out to Jeff,” Gooden said. “When I went to Tabor, I liked everything about the school. The academics were good and the athletics were good.”

After a dominant year for a Tabor team which captured the Kevin Macdonald Bowl with a 48-20 win over Dexter Southfield, Gooden began the process of whittling down the colleges seeking his services. UCLA moved to the forefront as it possessed many of the intangibles he was seeking.

“I liked the coaching staff, they were ready to start turning things around,” Gooden said. “The defensive line coach (Jethro Franklin) has plenty of experience and I think he can help me get to the next level.”

Moore said both players have the rare gifts needed to succeed at a major Division 1 football school.

“Carter has elite length, power and strength,” Moore said. “For a guy his size, he moves incredibly well and is very powerful. He’s a good athlete who played on the Canadian Junior National lacrosse team.

“Marcus is one of those kids who is extremely coachable. He’s got a change of direction and has a lot of other elite football skills.”