Trieu: MSU commit Reggie Powers is one of top Ohio seniors in '24 class

Special to The Detroit News
Michigan State commit Reggie Powers III started playing tackle football at six years old. He was in first grade at the time, and backing up a second-grader at quarterback, but he got in the game and on his first play, ran 65 yards for a touchdown.
“He was always special right away,” his father Reggie Powers II. said. “His nickname was ‘Sweet Feet.’ He was always aggressive like he is now, always physical.”
So physical in fact, that in basketball, the worst fate an opponent could draw was to be guarded by Powers III. It was never in a fouling, outside-the-rules way, more in an ‘I’ll-be-here-all-game’ way. That carried into the rest of his football career, where Powers has become a star at Centerville High.
When the younger Powers was in middle school, his father began thinking he would have a chance to play in college, though.
“We used to take him to some things around the country,” the elder Powers said. “He would always hold his own. He would get in these All-Star games and belonged. Those kids now that were on his team or he played against were big-time. Stacy Gage (now a running back at UCF) was on his team. He’s been going at it with Aaron Scott (a four-star cornerback) since the second grade. They’ve always been the best two in the league and still are the best two in the league now. I didn’t know what level he would be until he got older, but I knew in middle school he would play D1, in the MAC at least.”
Finally, in the spring going into his junior year, an offer arrived from UMass, and then the process opened up from there.
“It was after football practice and the UMass coach (former Michigan linebacker Mike McCray) is from the Dayton area,” Powers II. said. “He watched practice and then Reggie called me and told me he offered. Not all coaches do this, but he called and talked to me too, so we were very excited. The next week at his school’s showcase, he got four more offers.”
By the time this summer came around, Powers III, now a chiseled 6-foot-1, 195-pound specimen who looked like a college sophomore, had offers from Ohio State, Cincinnati, Northwestern, West Virginia and more.
An offer from Michigan State in May seemed like more of a flyer by the Spartans, given how far into the process Powers III was, but his father could tell his son truly had an interest in MSU. So much so, that when he decided to end the process and commit, his parents knew it was coming just from his behavior during his June official.
“Just when we got there, we knew,” Powers II said. “That was our first time going and they were the last ones that offered him, so it wasn’t like there was a lot of building up relationships. Being there, we saw how comfortable Reggie was. He’s usually quiet until he’s figured things out, but we watched him seek out his player host, when a lot of the time, he would sit by me or his mom and his host would come get him.
"He was so comfortable and so excited going into the week, I couldn’t understand why, with them just offering, but after seeing him interacting with the players, (defensive backs coach Harlon Barnett) and the staff, his mom and I felt comfortable if that was what he wanted to do. We were good with it.”
So, Powers joined the class and is one of the five highest-ranked players in the Spartans' class. 247Sports has the safety as a Top-25 rising senior in Ohio also.
None of that truly matters any longer, as he is firmly committed and ready to be a Spartan after one more high school season. Thinking back on their journey, which took them around the country, and imagining his son being in Spartan Stadium for the first time fills Powers II with joy.
“I know I’m going to tear up,” he said. “I know he will be ready, though. He’s a kid that puts in work, so I’m happy for him. Of course, my wife and I will be around, but he’s the one that did the work. I’d never have to go get him or make him do field work; he would let me know, ‘Dad, I’m going to do speed work.’ We have a full home gym and he would always go down on his own. He’s self-motivated, so I’m happy for him and proud of him to have earned everything. It wasn’t given.”
Powers III and Centerville open their season on Aug. 18 at home against Lakota East. Powers will also be enrolling mid-year at Michigan State.
In-state prospects confirmed
Michigan State will once again host its Spartan Dawg Con at the end of July. It has become a successful event under head coach Mel Tucker ,where MSU gets underclassmen and other top recruits on campus.
Birmingham (Mich.) Groves offensive tackle Avery Gach confirmed he will be in attendance. The 6-foot-5, 285-pound Gach is a four-star and one of the top juniors-to-be in the state. He has an offer from MSU and his father is an MSU grad. Gach is also considering Michigan, Ohio State, Tennessee, USC and others.
West Bloomfield (Mich.) wide receiver Kamren Flowers will also attend. Flowers is a speedy 6-foot-1, 165-pound prospect who runs 10.6 in the 100-meter dash and 4.42 in the 40.
Michigan State was Flowers’ first offer, but Wisconsin and others have since offered. He played at Ann Arbor Huron for his first two seasons before transferring to West Bloomfield in the winter.