Coach's Take: Powell oozing with upside
Huntingtown (Md.) head coach Paul Friel has seen a lot of good football players over his career.
And while defensive lineman Evan Powell certainly fits into that category, the veteran coach believes he is only at the tip of his developmental iceberg with what he will eventually become.
A three-sport athlete, Powell currently stands 6-foot-4, 255-pounds, but has the frame to easily carry more weight along with the athleticism to move at that size.
“He is pushing himself in the weight room and on the field to be the best athlete he can be and get as strong as he can. I think when he’s all in on just football he will start growing and be even more explosive,” his head coach said.
Even at his current size, Powell displays plenty of versatility at the high school level as he has shown the ability to play inside or outside from a four-high inside the shade of the tackle to even a five-technique in pass-rushing situations. He has the athleticism to be a factor off the edge but the strength to take on double teams and still generate pressure.
“He’s one of those kids that can do both,” Friel said.
That combination is something that drew the attention of a long list of major programs and it didn’t come as a surprise to Friel.
“I told them you have to come see him. You’ll see that he has a frame that can put on 40-pounds easily when he’s not playing three sports and an athlete that can carry the weight because he moves so well now. It’s going to take a year or two once he’s not going full speed fall, winter and spring he will be able to gain that weight and be able to play with the bigger guys,” he said.
And while he possesses strong physical skills, it’s his understanding of the game that has a chance to make him develop into a special player on the field. He has displayed that in many different ways but even now he understands what the offense is trying to do more than many on that side of the ball.
“He anticipates things and watches films so he’s just a smart kid and a smart football player,” he said.
The athletic lineman caught the attention of his coaches when he was a sophomore and his ability to mentally handle what was asked of him on the field. That has only continued over the last year plus as Powell has matured quite a bit and developed into a strong leader for his team.
While Powell isn’t the type that is going to yell or scream at his teammates, he also doesn’t need to because he has their respect according to Friel.
“He does it in an intelligent way and the kids respect him and buy into what he says because the kids know he knows what he’s doing,” he said.
West Virginia saw all of those traits and after his official visit to campus was able to secure his commitment. Now, Friel is excited to close out his final year in his program and then look forward to what comes next for him in his career.
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