Top 30 Most Overlooked High School Recruits to Go Pro Since 2000
By Zach Bigalke
Coming out of Lake Gibson High School in Lakeland, Florida in 2007, Bilal Powell ranked just 123rd among all running back recruits according to the 247Sports composite rankings for that year. Lightly sought by most teams, the two-star prospect was brought in by Steve Kragthorpe at Louisville to play Big East football. Over his first three years with the Cardinals under Kragthorpe, Powell was used mainly as a complimentary back.
Once the coach was fired and Charlie Strong was brought in to lead the team for his senior season, Powell burst forth with a senior year that elicited long looks from the NFL. Including the first bowl appearance of his career in his final college game, Powell rushed for over 1400 yards and 11 touchdowns in 2010. He also added 158 yards and three scores on 18 receptions, boosting his stock heading into the 2011 NFL Draft. Ultimately selected in the fourth round by the New York Jets, Powell has slowly evolved into a solid NFL back and broke out with a strong campaign late in 2016.