Four-star DT takes first official visit

Four-star defensive tackle Tydreke Powell out of Ahoskie (N.C.) Hertford County took his first official visit to Greenville last weekend with teammate Danny Dembry. Heading into the trip, the 6-foot-3, 298-pounder had the Pirates trailing his other leaders. Have they improved their chances of landing the tackle prospect?

"The visit went really good," he said. "I got there on Friday and most of the time I was able to be around the coaches and players.

"My host Wendell Chavis, he was really good. He got me to hang around the players and meet everybody there. I can say the players definitely made me feel at home."

Powell also spent time with the coaching staff.

"I got to talk with Skip Holtz and the rest of the coaches," he said. "Coach Thompson, the defensive line coach talked to me about how they put players in the league and if I go there I could get a lot of playing time.

"As for coach Holtz, he's a great guy. He knows how to win and has turned that program around."

Powell rated his trip to East Carolina an eight.

"It wasn't what I thought it would be," he said. "I would say they are right in the mix now, but I've got to take all of my official visits."

After leaving East Carolina on Sunday, the No. 18 defensive tackle in the country made the trip to Chapel Hill to attend the Tar Heels basketball game against Florida State.

"That was really good," he said. "The fans were great and a couple of them even knew who I was, that made me feel special.

"When I was there, I got to meet all the coaches including coach Blake. That was really good, he seems like a great guy and I liked what I saw out of him. The coaches also discussed the coach Browning situation. They told me that he will be on the staff, but they aren't sure where they'll put him yet. I think that's really big since he's a major part of my life."

While at North Carolina, Powell talked to Butch Davis too.

"We talked a bit and he was just telling me what I mean to the program and all that," he said. "I would say right now because of the Ken Browning news, North Carolina is leading."

This week, the No. 8 prospect in North Carolina will take an official visit to Clemson.

"I just want to go there and see everything I did like at ECU," he said. "I want to feel at home there."