Former Kentucky OL Kiyaunta Goodwin no longer with Florida

When Kiyaunta Goodwin committed to Kentucky in April 2021, it was viewed as one of the biggest recruiting wins in the Mark Stoops era. Top 100 prospects don’t typically land with the Wildcats, but Vince Marrow and company managed to pull it off, bringing the 6-foot-8, 355-pound five-star offensive lineman to Lexington.

Only things didn’t work out as hoped between Kentucky and Goodwin. He left the program following his freshman season in 2022 after seeing limited snaps. Goodwin wound up transferring to Florida this past January for a fresh start, but news surfaced on Friday afternoon that he is no longer with the Gators.

According to Jacob Rudner of 247Sports, Goodwin has left the Florida football program “due to personal circumstances within his family”. Rudner adds that a source close to Goodwin tells him that Goodwin’s mother, Kim Durham, has recently been diagnosed with cancer and Goodwin plans to return closer to home in order to be with her.

Goodwin’s mother lives in their hometown of Louisville, KY. He will apply for an NCAA family hardship waiver in hopes of playing football as a sophomore this fall. There is no indication as to which schools he might consider next.

BREAKING: Offensive lineman Kiyaunta Goodwin is no longer with the Florida program due to a medical circumstance within his family, according to multiple sources.

Story here: https://t.co/2MaIJxZTQm pic.twitter.com/nhSbORSOXN

— Jacob Rudner (@JacobRudner) July 21, 2023

For those who remember, Goodwin’s high school recruitment to Kentucky was a wild ride. The Charlestown (IN) product chose the Wildcats over a list of finalists that featured some of college football’s powerhouse programs — Ohio State, Alabama, Clemson, and Michigan State joined UK on his top five. But even after he committed, Kentucky had to continue to fend off challengers until he signed his national letter of intent, which came in at the last second.

Once he made it to UK’s campus as an early enrollee in Jan. 2022, Goodwin was lauded as a Freshman All-American by ESPN. Although he saw action in 11 games for the ‘Cats during his rookie season, he failed to record any stats and was mostly used on special teams. The lack of playing time led to his transfer from Kentucky to Florida, where he was expected to contend for a starting role this fall.

Regardless of what you might think of Goodwin, this is tough news to hear. Hopefully, his mother can beat her illness and make a quick recovery.