Springfield (Oh.) 2026 athlete Taj Powell took his official visit to West Virginia over the June 6-8 weekend and left campus feeling even more confident in his commitment to the school.
Powell, 6-foot-3, 210-pounds, had visited Morgantown before, but this trip allowed him to spend the weekend on campus with his family in tow.
“Seeing them feel comfortable and welcomed by everybody meant a lot to me,” he said.
During the course of the trip, Powell was able to tour the facilities, meet with the coaches, spend time with the current players and recruits and even get a better look at Morgantown. But what stood out the most to Powell was how connected the coaching staff is at every level.
“Everyone’s on the same page and they genuinely care about you as a person, not just a player,” he said.
That time spent with the coaching staff was critical as it gave Powell an even better understanding of the culture and how he would fit into it. He also solicited feedback from the players about their experiences and was able to quickly recognize how tight-knit those in the group were.
Powell spent the most time with nickels/sams coach Henry Weinreich, who broke down how the coaching staff plans to utilize his speed, instincts and versatility to make plays all over the field.
The Mountaineers are targeting Powell as a nickel and Weinreich, along with defensive coordinator Zac Alley, were able to break down the defense and the importance of his role within it.
“He talked a lot about the bigger picture of the defense and how important that hybrid nickel role is in what they do,” he said.
Powell also had a chance to meet with head coach Rich Rodriguez and his down-to-earth personality is something that really made an impression.
“Knows how to win. You can tell he has a vision and a fire to build something special and I’m excited to be a part of that,” he said.
The Rivals.com three-star prospect is excited to start his career at West Virginia and the experience only served to confirm his decision to initially pick the program.
“I can’t wait to get up there, get to work and represent that state and that fanbase,” he said.
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