Miami Central DB Deatrick Nichols Verbally Commits To USF Football

Both Bulls247 ($) and Running the Bulls ($) are reporting that Miami Central defensive back Deatrick Nichols verbally committed to play for USF last night. The 5'10", 180-pound Nichols is the fifth commit so far* towards the class of 2014.

"I really like coach (Willie) Taggart and I'm fired up. I think USF will be a good fit for me." - Nichols, as told to Bulls 247

Nichols is a three-star recruit according to Rivals, and according to 247's composite ratings. (247 has not given NIchols its own rating yet.) Keep in mind that he still holds a number of offers from schools higher up on the food chain, like LSU, Tennessee, Miami, and Clemson. And he'll probably get some more, as he recently was bumped up from a two-star to a three-star recruit after a strong showing at spring camps. USF may have to fight off a few big boys to hold on to Nichols, but a tag team of recruiters like Willie Taggart and defensive backs coach Ron Cooper will help a lot. (Not to mention his high school coach, Telly Lockette, who is on the USF staff.)

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* - We'll go back and cover the other four commits soon. I didn't think it was worth making a big deal out of the really early commits, not even Jimmy Bayes, because so many of them end up flipping, or there's a lot of drama along the way. (Case in point: Asiantii Woulard last year.) But now that summer is almost here, it's more likely that new verbal commits will end up signing the LOI in February.