Pitt FB Recruiting
2024 4-Star S Reggie Powers III Holds Pitt in Top 5, Making June 1-3 Official Visit
It makes sense that some consider Reggie Powers III an Ohio State lean. He grew up about an hour from Columbus, watching the Buckeyes every week. And he’s grown into a coveted defender from Ohio in the class of 2024.
But while Powers — a 6-foot-1, 195-pound four-star safety from Centerville High in Dayton, Ohio — holds an offer from Ohio State, he holds offers from 26 other schools.
That list includes Cincinnati, Duke, Iowa State, Louisville, Northwestern, Pitt, Virginia, Virginia Tech, Wake Forest and West Virginia. And Pitt, over the course of three visits dating back to a camp appearance last summer, has made an impression, too.
He made his most recent visit to Pitt last week, spending some more time with the coaching staff and making sure to check out a few areas he hadn’t seen yet.
“It was good,” Powers told PSN. “I enjoyed it. It was just me there because I came up on a weekday, so it wasn’t a practice or anything, so I enjoyed just being able to talk to the coaches one-on-one. Seeing the campus for the first time.
“I learned a lot about the defense, about coach Manalac and his background. He’s a good guy, a good personality, so nothing about that worries me. He seems like a cool dude, fun to play for, so I enjoyed it.”
Had a good time @Pitt_FB this week. @BatesBacker @Coach_Manalac pic.twitter.com/s5kmJH8suh
— Reggie Powers III (@reggie_powers) April 23, 2023
Randy Bates and Pitt officially extended Powers an offer back on Feb. 14, quite a Valentine’s Day present, and it was the continuation of a relationship dating back to his sophomore season at Centerville.
Pitt was recruiting his teammate J.J. Jean-Louis then, but the relationship picked up over the course of his junior season as he made another visit for Pitt’s win over Virginia Tech last October.
That offer from Pitt didn’t arrive immediately, but the communication never wavered. And it’s only gotten stronger since the offer officially arrived. It’s a plus, of course.
“I talk with them almost every day,” Powers said. “Either every day or every two or three days, they’re always checking up and seeing how I’m doing. They definitely care. They make sure I’m a priority to them, so I appreciate that.”
Bates and Cory Sanders have been the main points of contact, with Bates extending his offer, but the latest visit allowed Powers to connect with Manalac and spend some time watching film together.
“I watched some film about the Star spot they see me playing in, and they blitz a lot,” Powers said. “They love getting after the quarterback, so it was cool seeing that.”
Powers’ position at the next level depends upon which team you ask at this point. Pitt views him as a Star linebacker, and Ohio State views him as a safety. Some teams view him as a nickel, and others view him in that sort of hybrid role.
He likes playing as a nickel or Star himself. It allows him to showcase his aggressiveness. He prides himself on an aggressive, relentless style of play, but it’s his versatility that shines. His ability to read opposing quarterbacks, along with his speed and quickness, allows him to drop back into coverage — man, zone or slot. But he can also blitz off the edge and understands his run fits, too.
As a junior at Centerville, Power filled that hybrid safety/linebacker role in the defense, and while he will be playing more of a true safety role as a senior, he’s very comfortable in both roles.
He certainly made his impact felt all over the field as a junior, racking up 80 tackles, eight tackles for loss, two sacks, 10 pass breakups and four forced fumbles.
247Sports rates Powers as the 601st-ranked recruit in the class (54th-ranked safety and the 19th-ranked recruit from Ohio). On3 is even higher on Powers, rating him as the 34th-ranked safety and the 12th-ranked recruit from Ohio.
Rivals hasn’t rated Powers yet, but he does hold a 5.6 Rivals Rating.
Powers wants to be committed sometime in July after he’s made all of his official visits. His first official visit is already lined up with Northwestern next month. And he’s making it out to Ohio State at the end of June.
Pitt will also receive an official visit, which is set for June 1-3. And he just wants to spend more time in Pittsburgh, hang out with the coaching staff more and interact with the players a bit — something he hasn’t had the chance to do to this point.
“They’re definitely, I would say, top five in my school selection right now,” Powers said. “I like a lot of things about Pitt.
“It’s a cool culture. It’s not like a too busy campus, which I like, but the culture is cool. I like the coaches. I like what they’re doing down there. And the team is cool. I met a couple of the players, so they seem like good dudes. I like Pitt, it’s a great place.”
Pitt has already landed 10 commitments in the class of 2024, but there hasn’t been a linebacker yet. Powers, if he were to commit, would be a cornerstone of both the position and the class as a whole.
