3-star safety Cecil Powell commits to NC State on National Signing Day

NC State’s second high school signee of the day is defensive back Cecil Powell, who was a one-time Baylor commit. Powell de-committed from Baylor after taking visits to both NC State and Indiana in January and today announced his decision to sign with the Wolfpack.

Powell played in a variety of roles for Piper High School in Florida, including receiver, kick returner, and defensive back. He’s expected to contribute at either nickel or safety for NC State. He had 45 tackles this past season, according to 247Sports, and four forced fumbles. He’s listed at 6’1 and 193 pounds.

Powell and NCSU assistant Aaron Henry developed a strong relationship during the recruiting process, which helped sway his decision:

“Coach Henry’s real cool,” Powell said. “Me and coach Henry connected from the beginning. He always makes me feel comfortable and I can just vibe with him. He also played in college, so he’s a coach who went through recruiting process. And he’s a coach that I know is going to be that mentor for me.”

Powell is regarded as the No. 75 safety in the 2019 class by 247Sports.