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Only Nate Godwin Days Until USF Football

Ryan's posts about newbies have been . . . interesting, but here's our talented, proven strong safety who you've heard of before today.

David Butler II-USA TODAY Sports
#36 DB Nate Godwin
Junior, 5'10", 202 lbs.

Stats in 2014: Godwin started nine games and played in all twelve, recording 72 total tackles. His best game was against Wisconsin, in which he got 14 tackles and recovered a fumble.

Spot on the Spring Depth Chart: Starting strong safety above Hassan Childs. In a 4-2-5 defense, this position is often called the "rover."

How He Came to USF: Godwin played at Freedom High School in Tampa, where he was also recruited by Minnesota, West Virginia, Iowa State, FAU and basically the entire MAC. Taggart offered him a scholarship to Western Kentucky, but Godwin committed to Minnesota. Once Taggart was hired here, Godwin decided to stay close to home and de-committed from Minnesota to go to USF.

Recruiting Rankings: Nate had three stars from ESPN, Rivals and 247.

Projected Playing Time: He should be on the field as much as possible. Godwin is a great player with good instincts, and with two years under his belt he will be one of the defensive leaders. He is fast enough to cover a large passing zone and still sprint up to the line of scrimmage to down running backs. Godwin and Jamie Byrd can both hit hard, and hopefully they will develop into a feared backfield this season.

I mean, they are already practicing with sledgehammers and chains:

Fun Fact: Godwin has been something of a spokesperson for the Bulls ever since he committed in high school. He encouraged fellow members of his recruiting class to choose USF, and played a role in incoming freshman cornerback Nate Ferguson's decision to come here instead of going to Eastern Michigan.

Highlight: This is that time Godwin ran back a blocked field goal for a touchdown. There was also that time he intercepted the ball against UCF and ran it back for a game-winning touchdown.