Just two games into his 2017 junior season, he suffered a season-ending knee injury.[3] "The injury was devastating, worst thing in my life," Goncalves recalled. "I gained some weight and hit the weight room to get stronger. And the hard work paid off."[3]
After rehabbing his injury, Goncalves returned to form, emerging as a top player, regarded as both a "road grader"-type run-blocker from the left tackle position but also demonstrating pass blocking skill as part of a line that did not give up a single sack in the final six games of his senior year.[3] He was named a first-team All-Long Island selection for 2018.[3][4]
Goncalves played both offensively and defensively in high school was regarded the consensus top offensive line prospect in New York state,[1] committing to play college football for the Pittsburgh Panthers.[5]
College career
Goncalves redshirted as a true freshman in 2019 at Pittsburgh.[6] He played nine games, three as a starter, in 2020, performing well enough to earn honors as a Freshman All-American.[7]
He played 13 games with five starts in 2021.[1] He started all 13 games in 2022, five at left tackle and eight at right tackle.[8] Entering the 2023 season, Goncalves was the only Pittsburgh player on the preseason All-Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) team.[9]
Three games into his senior year, he suffered a season-ending lower body injury, effectively ending his college career.[10]
According to Colts area scout Chad Henry, Goncalves was attractive to the Colts for his physical skills, intelligence, and consistency. Henry told the Indianapolis Star: "It's pretty easy to identify what he is when you watch him on film. He's pretty consistent every game.... If I'm giving this guy a nickname, it'd The Blueprint because he is the pure, exact blueprint of what we want in an offensive lineman. I don't know that there was an offensive lineman who was on the board who fits our room better than this guy: big, smart, tough, strong, mean, high give-a-(expletive) factor, versatile, dependable, really cares."[14]