Cornell Powell
By Makenna Biehl
One person that has come to learn about the opportunity is Clemson redshirt senior, Cornell Powell. Powell came out of high school, being ranked as the 36th overall player in the nation by Rivals and the fourth-best player in North Carolina. However, he is entering the 2020 season with only 40 career receptions for 329 yards and three touchdowns. The hardest thing for him has always been being behind star athletes. He came in when Mike Williams, Artavis Scott, and Hunter Renfrow had already taken control. Then came Deon Cain and Ray-Ray McCloud, and lastly was Higgins and Justyn Ross.
Being placed behind talented receivers has always been the situation for him, but he did have a good start in 2018, where he had five catches for 63 yards in just four games. That soon came to an end after he was sidelined for a few weeks due to academic issues. Powell never let anything discourage him; he said, “Everybody has to wait their turn. Coach Swinney always tells us Vic Beasley didn’t start until his last season.”
Many have questioned why Powell stuck with the Tigers even though he didn’t get the playing time that any athlete desires. He explained in March, “Nothing easy is worth having. I feel like I wanted to earn everything I have. I just feel like Clemson was the best place for me to develop on and off the field.”
One of the greatest issues that coaches see for Powell is consistency, they see him on top of his game one minute, and the next minute he starts to fall behind. “He’s always been talented, but when you’re going against the best of the best, you have to bring it every single day. He’s had some moments, but just playing with a high level of intensity and a high motor every day and making every play a game rep, that’s how you take it to the next step. Some days great, some plays great, and then he kind of takes some off, and sometimes he doesn’t even know he’s doing it,” said Head Coach Dabo Swinney. This season will be a big opportunity for Powell, and his most significant priority will be not to get outcompeted.
Powell is using his final season to prove that he is worthy of being able to play at the next level, and he is using his versatility to play different positions to get him there. “Coming into this year, I put my number one goal just to be able to run all three positions, whether an injury happens or if I’m able to start at that position, I just want to get on the field and be able to contribute to my team,” he said. Powell believes the past four years have led him to this moment, and this season is when he shows everyone what he’s got.
