A door opened for South Florida on Oct. 23 when Darrell Sweeting walked away from the Charlotte 49ers. With Sweeting back on the open market, Power Five and Group of Five schools were after the do-all athlete for the Benjamin School with the Bulls winning out on Saturday.

Taking in a Buccaneers game this season in the Palm Beach Gardens area, fans would see No. 2 impact the game in all three phases. There is still debate among the Bulls’ staff on where Sweeting will line up in college.

“USF took me as an athlete, but I will probably play corner,” Sweeting said. “They said I am too good to not play on offense as well.”

The action on the field with the Benjamin School and the showcase of skills at a Bulls camp over the summer didn’t move coaches on either side of the ball off their point of wanting him.

“I didn’t have an offer until I went to their camp this summer,” Sweeting stated. “They wanted to see me at their camp. I did really well guarding all their best receivers and I played on offense. They were already recruiting me hard. I think seeing me at the camp was about more than football. They finally offered over the summer.”

The offer at the camp came from multiple USF coaches.

“Coach (Daniel) Da Prato, coach (George) Barlow (CB) and their head coach and defensive coordinator at the time all offered me,” Sweeting said. “They offered me as a group. I was big on their radar. I know whoever steps in, it will be a good head coach. USF has the funds to get someone great.”

When Sweeting was in the early stages of thinking about going a different direction from Charlotte in his recruitment, he was unsure on his decision.

“I didn’t know which school I was going to,” Sweeting said. “I was talking to big Power Five schools. Power Five schools were hitting me up more and more, that made it hard. I was not sure which way to go; it was a hard decision. I made USF my choice because there was a fit to play early and to start. I want to start as a true freshman. Looking at their DBs, I can compete early.”

Sweeting continued further addressing the change at the top from Jeff Scott to interim head coach Daniel Da Prato.

“There are a lot of changes right now at USF, but it is close to home with great opportunities to play early and to play as a true freshman,” Sweeting shared.

As Sweeting publicly announced his decommitment from the 49ers, he was quickly a silent commit to USF.

“I committed a couple weeks ago,” Sweeting said. “I committed to coach Jeff Scott over the phone. He was the head man then. Coach Da Prato is the interim head coach, I am enjoying seeing him step in and chase his dreams too.”

Being a silent commit should have elevated the strain of the recruiting process, but it didn’t.

“It was awesome committing to USF, but there was also still pressure from other coaches at Power Five and ACC schools to commit to them,” Sweeting shared. “Even though I was committed, I was still feeling the pressure. When I decided I was posting my commitment, I knew USF was the right place for me and my family.”

Sweeting had a message for all the USF fans out there, “Watch me ball out.”