In the end, it was a change of heart.

On Monday, Newburgh (Ind.) defensive tackle Benny Patterson gave Cincinnati his commitment, a day after he announced his decommitment from Northern Illinois. He chose the Bearcats out of an offer list that also included California, Boston College and Texas Tech.

Patterson visited Cincinnati unofficially last month and attended a spring practice. He was offered a scholarship during the visit, on March 23 and has been regularly in touch with the coaching staff since then.

Patterson was recruited primarily by assistant coach Walter Stewart.

Check back with BearcatReport.com for more on Patterson's decision.