Freedom senior defensive back Nate Godwin, one of the few bright spots in a dismal year for the Patriots, announced Wednesday that he has orally committed to Minnesota.
"I have officially committed to the University of Minnesota," Godwin said via his Twitter account. "#BIGTEN #GOPHERNATION #MAROON AND GOLD!!!!!!!!!!!"
Godwin took an official visit to Minnesota over the weekend, when the Gophers beat Purdue 44-28 on Saturday.
Godwin, ranked No. 40 in the Times' HomeTeam 100, has 33 tackles, two touchdowns, two deflected passes, and an interception for the Patriots (2-7) this year.
At 6-0 and 190 pounds, Godwin was a consensus three-star recruit who also had offers from West Virginia, Iowa State and Alabama-Birmingham, among others.
Under second-year head coach Jerry Kill, Minnesota has gone 8-12, including three wins in the Big 10. The Gophers currently have 10 players from Florida on their roster, but none from the Tampa Bay area.
Godwin is the second recruit from Florida to commit to Minnesota in this year's recruiting class, joining Lakeland Gibson receiver Eric Carter.
"My bro has joined tha family," Carter said in a tweet Wednesday. "This Minnesota recruiting class will be a force for sure!"