TAMPA – Freedom senior defensive back Nate Goodwin announced today that he was decommitting from Minnesota and would accept a scholarship offer from USF.
"With some hard thought I have de-committed from Minnesota," Godwin said via Twitter. "And committed to the university of SOUTH FLORIDA !!!! #GoBULLS"
Godwin’s switch is a boost for new USF head coach Willie Taggart, who has been aggressively courting some of the area’s top recruits since being hired from Western Kentucky earlier this month.
"Another Christmas gift. 813 stand up! Can't stop the momentum only hope to contain it. Go Bulls!! #ChasingGreatness," Taggart said on his Twitter account this afternoon.
Godwin had been offered a scholarship by USF’s previous coaching staff and from Taggart while he was at Western Kentucky.
"I’m ready to put on for my city," Godwin told the Tampa Bay Times in a text message, "and bring USF back to its 2007 days."
In recent days, current USF recruits had been pushing Godwin to reconsider his hometown school. That includes Tampa Catholic receiver Zach Benjamin, who told Godwin to "join the fam" on his Twitter account several days ago.
Godwin had been coy about his pledge to the Golden Gophers since Taggart was hired at USF. The day after Taggart was announced as the Bulls’ new coach, Godwin cryptically wrote "decisions, decisions" on his Twitter account.
Taggart currently has a class of 17 commitments, including Benjamin, Plant’s Mitchell Wright, Robinson’s Bruce Hector and Conner Rafferty.
Godwin, ranked No. 40 in the Times’ Hometeam 100, had 47 tackles, five pass defensed, two interceptions and three touchdowns for the Patriots (3-7) this fall.
At 6-foot, 190 pounds, Godwin is a consensus three-star recruit who also had offers from West Virginia, Iowa State and Alabama-Birmingham, among others.
Joel Anderson can be reached at janderson@tampabay.com or on Twitter @jdhometeam.