NC State Officially Moves Cecil Powell to Wide Receiver

Freshman Cecil Powell (6’1″/191) has been playing on both sides of the ball for a couple of weeks now, but NC State has officially switched him from a defensive back to a wide receiver on their roster now.

After Redshirt Junior C.J. Riley tore his ACL in the season opener against East Carolina, the Wolfpack wasted no time, using Powell on both sides of the ball the next week against Western Carolina. Wearing Riley’s #19, Powell had a 9-yard reception against the Catamounts.

The loss of Riley equaled the loss of NC State’s one true deep threat, running a 4.39 laser timed 40-yard dash this summer. Doeren said after the Western Carolina victory that Powell might actually be the fastest player on the team.

Powell played on both sides of the ball at Piper High School in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. His Senior season, he had 8 receptions for 198 yards and 2 touchdowns.

The coaching staff is looking for a deep threat in their arsenal, and Powell helps with that.