Dan Mullen always had to recruit far afield from Mississippi to ensure Mississippi State would remain competitive in the brutal SEC West. Now he’s doing the same at Florida, all while concurrently building the school’s in-state capacity back up.
On Wednesday, four-star defensive end Antwaun Powell announced his commitment to Mullen’s Gators program. The 6-foot-3, 230-pound star from I.C. Norcom High School (Portsmouth, Va.) picked the Gators ahead of scholarship offers from other perceived finalists including Oklahoma, Virginia Tech and North Carolina.
Powell committed less than two weeks after taking an official visit to Gainesville. He was driven by the program’s defensive system and what he felt made for a strong opportunity for him.
“I think it’s perfect and I like it. It’s a nice defense. I learned a lot from seeing them,” Powell told 247Sports. (Defensive coordinator) Todd Grantham is a very cool guy and I like him. He is a very good coach, and we have a great relationship. He likes my pass rushing abilities and how I come off the edge. (Virginia area coach Torian) Gray is a great dude, and he’s real chill and gets straight to the point.”
For Powell, the point of recruiting pushed him to the Gators. Now he’ll get to focus on the field as a senior and hope to grow on field and off before he suits up for the Gators.
