New Jersey CB Avery Powell on the brink of committing to Nebraska
Class of 2020 linebacker Cody Simon ended up choosing Ohio State over Nebraska, but his visit to Lincoln obviously made a lasting impression on him. Simon put in a good word for the Huskers with fellow Jersey City (NJ) St. Peter's Prep player Avery Powell before he took his official trip to NU this weekend, and Powell may become a Cornhusker after his experience in Nebraska.
"Ever since Nebraska offered me, I just kind of fell in love with the place," Powell stated. "Cody Simon told me all about the program, so I took that into consideration. I built a good relationship with the coaches, especially Coach (Travis) Fischer, Coach (Scott) Frost, and Coach (Erik) Chinander.
"So, I always liked them and my head coach likes them. It's a great program at a high level."
Powell's mother and high school coach accompanied him to Lincoln. Myles Farmer was his player host for the weekend.
"Myles was mad-cool!" Powell said. "Actually, I also hung around with Markeith Williams. He's a cool dude and a highly-recruited safety.
"We went bowling. We went walking around and driving around and stuff. They took us around to show us the town. I really liked how close everything was, and Lincoln was a lot bigger than I thought. There were a lot more people and apartments and stuff. It wasn't just like a farm."
The requisite tour of the facilities also stood out to Powell.
"Yeah, we went through all the facilities and they were nice. The new facilities look crazy! Coach Frost says they're going to be the best in the country, so I believe it. It looks crazy! My mom loved it! She likes the environment and everything."
The bond he developed with the Husker coaches made him feel very comfortable while he was in Nebraska, according to Powell.
I love Coach Fisher and I have been talking to him says forever," Powell relayed. "Since I got my Nebraska offer early last year, I've gotten to know most of the staff. When I met with Coach Frost, he just kind of kept it nice and simple. He told me everything I needed to know, and how they were going to make me a better player.
"I am able to run with anyone. I'm versatile, I can play multiple positions. Coach Fisher allows people to be versatile, so I feel it's a good fit for me here. We watched film together for a while."
Prior to his official to Nebraska, Powell unofficially visited Penn State, and he was planning to take official trips to Wisconsin, Ole Miss and Mississippi State. But after his stay tin Nebraska, those visits may no longer take place.
"I may make my decision this month or next month, or probably even day-by-day," Powell shared.
When pressed further about his "day-by-day" comment, Powell said there's a good chance he could be committing to Nebraska before too long.
"Yeah, you know, my mom loved it and I loved it, and it was such a great trip. Yep, there's a chance [I could commit soon]. I would say there's an 80% chance I could do it. It's a day-by-day thing still."
Asked to sum up his entire weekend experience while visiting Nebraska, Powell replied:
"You know, it's a brotherhood," Powell stressed. "At my high school it's also a brotherhood, so when I saw that at Nebraska too, it was special. Everyone is hanging with each other and they're always together. You don't find players being by themselves.
"This experience was a very unexpected. It was kind of mind-blowing, you know?"
