LOS ANGELES -- Just as the strength of the 2012 recruiting class in California was offensive linemen, the same can be said this year for defensive backs. It isn't just that there are dozens of standouts at the position spread up and down the state; it's that several of the top talents rank among the best players in the country.

Safety Tahaan Goodman (Rancho Cucamonga, Calif./Rancho Cucamonga) is one of the players leading the way for California defensive backs. The 6-foot-2, 184-pound safety holds more than 25 offers thanks to a whirlwind start to 2012.

When the calendar flipped to January, Goodman hadn't received a single scholarship offer and was still working under the assumption that recruiting would eventually pick up. He quickly found out how right he was. An offer from South Florida in mid-January was the crack in the dam. After that, schools began flooding in.

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Erik McKinney | email

Reporter, RecruitingNation

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• Covers recruiting in the West
• Joined ESPN in 2009