- December 6, 2025
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Three states. 852 miles. A 14-hour drive.
That’s the distance between Elijah Golden and his father, Ketaa, on any given day. They’ve lived separately for the better part of three years.
Leaving family behind was a price the defensive end had to pay when he transferred to IMG Academy — a boarding school — for his sophomore season. But when he shifted to Cardinal Mooney afterward, only his mother, Tina, was able to move with him to Sarasota.
Rarely, if ever, does Golden spot his father sitting in the bleachers or standing along the fence encircling Austin Smithers Stadium. Their bond, though, transcends blood and flesh.
“I still feel his presence when he’s calling me and stuff after the game, getting on me about stuff,” Golden said. “It’s almost like he’s here.”
The senior has gained a reputation for blowing by offensive linemen and blowing up plays. Ketaa Golden is known in Falls Church, Virginia, as a real estate agent for Fairfax Realty Select, dedicating his time to assisting prospective buyers and sellers.
His own home has been quiet, but then again, Tina Golden’s will be too. Their son’s path is soon to diverge from both Florida and Virginia.
Elijah Golden joins Notre Dame in just a few months time, set to enroll mid-year to get a jump start on his freshman campaign next fall. The four-star recruit committed on Aug. 9 and is the No. 85 overall prospect in the Class of 2026, per the ESPN 300.
Offers came in droves. There were 41 different NCAA Division I coaches who sought his services, but against fellow finalists Alabama, Oklahoma and Virginia Tech, no program seemed a better fit than Notre Dame, the reigning College Football Playoff runner-up.
“It has everything you want — good academics, great football, good connections,” Golden said. “I’m a very focused guy, and I feel like South Bend, Indiana is the right place for me to focus.”
Cardinal Mooney sixth-year coach Jared Clark feels like a proud dad. He played quarterback/tight end for the Fighting Irish from 2000 to 2004, and understands what’s possible when you embrace everything the 11-time national champions have to offer.
Every day in practice, Clark witnesses one of the state’s top young talents tear up the turf in his own backyard, having also spent his entire high school career with the Cougars.
At this time next year, he could be watching Golden register an emphatic sack or crucial pass deflection on TV, donning that signature gold helmet for his other alma mater.
“I haven’t had many 6-foot-4, 267-pound guys that move the way he moves. Those guys don’t grow on trees,” Clark said. “I think what makes Eli different, and I think the reason he’s going to be very successful no matter what he does, is because of his work ethic.”
Golden is the best defensive player — arguably the best player, period — on one of the best teams in the state. He boasts a team-high 11.0 sacks and 22.0 TFLs through Week 8 for Cardinal Mooney, which as of Oct. 21, is ranked No. 2 overall by the FHSAA.
With every stop he spearheads, and every game the Cougars win, he’s not just inching closer to becoming a state champion. His high school days are nearing an end.
A whirlwind journey hit several stops en route to Sarasota.
Football formally entered his life at the recommendation of a neighbor by his childhood home in Fredericksburg, Virginia. Golden got into the game, but didn’t truly turn up the heat until Dixon-Smith Middle School, where the trenches became his place of comfort.
“I was a d-lineman, beating running backs to speed drives, and I just knew that I was different,” Golden said. “And that this is my dream — to go to the NFL.”
His freshman season at King George put him on the map. Still competing in his home state, he tallied 9.0 TFLs and 23 total tackles, good for T-5th and 7th on the team, respectively.
Paired with Golden’s physical attributes at 6-foot-3 and 210 pounds, those numbers attracted the watchful eye of Notre Dame’s then-defensive coordinator Al Golden, who visited him that year.
But IMG Academy was watching too. The Ascenders offer a sort of college-style training that high schools can’t, and with Elijah Golden’s sky-high aspirations, a transition seemed natural.
He waved goodbye to his parents as part of the sophomore move to Bradenton. That came with its challenges, but in time, he got accustomed to flying solo. A larger issue loomed in the long-term as he questioned whether IMG was really the right home for his development.
Golden was only part of the picture there — a speck in an ever-swirling sea of talents. The defensive line wasn’t built around him, nor did he get the varsity experience he desired.
Cardinal Mooney was different. He sensed that in the lead-up to his junior season, and in those first few games as a Cougar, the coaching staff identified him as a difference-maker.
“Guys who are committed to P4 schools and ready to go, sometimes it’s hard to coach those guys because they’re so talented,” Clark said. “He does not approach it that way. He encourages coaching. He’s asking questions after practice.”
Not dissimilar from his days of pummeling middle-school ball-carriers, there’s now some stability for Golden. He’s spending multiple seasons with the same program for the first time in his high school career.
And his love for the grind burns bright, hoping to ultimately do something he never did at either of his previous two destinations — bring home a state title.
“It’s fun getting better and seeing yourself grow from this stepping stone to this stepping stone,” Golden said. “I just want to see how much better I got from the day before.”
He’ll have to start anew when he enrolls at Notre Dame for the spring semester. An awakening awaits on Jan. 12 when classes begin.
Although neither of his parents will be living with him, he’ll get calls from both on the regular, much like any other college newcomer.
Ketaa Golden is sure to come prepared with notes on academics, athletics and anything and everything in-between.
