Early on during Peyton Powell’s high school recruitment, the University of Utah was the second P5 school to offer him, and while he liked the coaches, there was a good reason that kept him from visiting. Fast forward a year, and a trip to the transfer portal, and the second time is the charm.
The Utes have landed a dynamic player who was a 2019 Rivals 250 recruit.
“They were the second Power 5 team to offer me (out of high school), so going somewhere where they had been wanting me, was a big deal to me,” said Powell.
The only reason for not tripping to Utah last year was because of Powell (6-foot-2 and 195 pounds) wanting to stay closer to home, although he did trip Virginia in 2018, because they had wanted him at quarterback.
Now after a brief stop at Baylor, where the lifelong quarterback didn’t get a fair shake at the position—not his words, but this is according to others we’ve spoken with—Powell will get that opportunity he desires.
“If I can play, I can play,” he said. “If I’m one of the best quarterbacks, I’m going to play quarterback. If I’m not, I can get on the field somewhere and make an impact for them.”
He appreciates the Utah staff’s honesty and their willingness to give him a shot.
“At Utah, you can just feel it and see it. Like there’s no politics or anything like that’s involving other colleges,” explained Powell. “The best players are going to get on the field—freshman or senior, it doesn’t matter.”
A big thing for Utah during their time recruiting him, was their consistency.
“When I hit the portal, they were one of the first teams to hit me up, again,” said Powell. “They wanted me to come out for a visit, no questions asked.”
However, it was more than just the consistency that won him over, the vibe throughout the team, was a giant part of it.
“The dudes down there, I don’t know if it’s the Polynesians or what, but they’re real nice people. They take you in as family and all that good stuff,” said Powell. “Then the players, it didn’t feel like they were at practice because everyone was in a good mood and ready to go. The coaches are just real with the players.”
His mind was made when he was on his trip, but he left Utah needing to talk with his parents and debate if he should take his other trips. Initially the expectation is that he’ll sit out the 2020 season, but as we’ve seen, the NCAA can occasionally be lenient on waivers, so Powell and his family plan to discuss that process with other who have had waivers granted.
“I’ve been playing ball since I was in first grade all the way until last season, so this is my first time not being able to play football,” said Powell. “I’ve got that hunger back and I’m ready to work and give all I’ve got to Utah.”
Powell is still keeping busy working out at a local high school with former teammate Deonte Williams and another former Baylor wide receiver. Until then, he has a close eye on his new school.
“I feel like they’re going to win out and if the playoff committee gives them a chance, they’re going to be right in it, to me really,” he said.
During his recruitment, Guy Holliday and Kyle Whittingham were his two main recruiters, but it was a Ute that he knew from the past, that helped seal the deal.
“If you want a kid to come to Utah, send them over to Cam (Rising) on the official, for sure,” said Powell. “That’s a no-brainer.”
Utah recruiting is heating up and there’s plenty more to come before the December signing period.
JOIN THE CONVERSATION TODAY, with this GREAT HOLIDAY PROMO, as the Utes continue on their historic 2019 season... Oh and there are plenty more commits to come...
