HATTIESBURG - After helping Northwest to the 2020 MACCC title and the National Community College Football Championship, freshman kicker Tucker Barefoot will join the Southern Miss football program next fall.

Barefoot made the announcement on social media Thursday afternoon, nearly a month following his initial offer from the Golden Eagles.

"I would like to thank Northwest for giving me the platform to practice my craft," Barefoot said, in his social media statement. "The friendships I have made (with my teammates) I will never forget."

Barefoot went 7-of-12 from field goal range during his lone season with the Rangers, but came on strong over the final two games of the shortened 2020 campaign. The Clinton native finished a perfect 4-for-4 on field goals during a 40-13 championship victory at Mississippi Gulf Coast, notching a career-long 43 yard kick.

Three of Barefoot's kicks came in the first half, allowing Northwest to take a 9-0 lead in the second quarter of the win against the Bulldogs, earning him MACCC Special Teams Player of the Week.

Additionally, Barefoot finished the season 22-of-23 on PATs and racked up nearly 1,850 yards on 30 kickoffs.

Prior to Northwest, Barefoot collected a lengthy resumé at Clinton High School, averaging 63.7 yards on 59 kickoffs, while also kicking 42-of-44 on PATs and finishing 6-of-9 on field goals. He also punted 41 times for a 39.3 yard average, pinning 11 punts inside the 20-yard line and was named to the Mississippi Association of Coaches' (MAC) 6A All-State first team as a kicker, while also earning a nod to the Belk Ford All-SES Preseason Team.

While at Clinton, Barefoot was also selected to play in the Mississippi-Alabama All-Star Game following his senior season, where he helped clinch Mississippi's 24-20 victory with a 43-yard field goal in the closing minutes.

Barefoot is the second member of the 2020 Northwest squad to move on to the four-year level, joining linebacker Desmyn Baker (Rice). Since 2016, Northwest has now sent 100 football student-athletes to the four-year level, including 76 to Division I programs.

Barefoot will join a slew of former Rangers at Southern Miss, including tailback Kevin Perkins, Chris Calvert, Jack Walker, Demarcus Jones and first year head coach Will Hall. A Northwest and Mississippi Community College Sports Hall of Famer, Hall commanded the Rangers' offense in 2000, passing for 3,982 yards and 48 touchdowns in a single season.