Four-star Penei Sewell serious about possible recruiting shocker
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INDIANAPOLIS – Could Penei Sewell possibly pull one of the biggest recruiting shockers this cycle?
The high-level four-star offensive tackle said at the Rivals100 Five-Star Challenge presented by adidas over the weekend that Nevada is a serious player in his recruitment since his brothers, Gabriel and Nephi, play there.
Other than Nevada, Sewell said he’s serious about Alabama and possibly some other schools but didn’t name many during interviews.
Asked about top teams on his list other than the Crimson Tide, Sewell said: “Right now, I’d say just Nevada really.”
The Wolf Pack has to like their chances at this point, but Alabama looms large in the recruitment of the massive offensive lineman from St. George (Utah) Desert Hills.
A recent visit to Tuscaloosa went really well and the Crimson Tide smartly offered Sewell’s younger brother, 2020 linebacker Noah, over the weekend.
“I really liked meeting the coaches for the first time,” Sewell said of his Alabama trip. “I got to meet coach (Nick) Saban. Saban is Saban. I got to meet coach (Brian) Daboll, the OC, and coach (Brent) Key. I got to meet with all those coaches and it was awesome.
“They said how I was a top priority and the fact that they weren’t talking all about football stood out to me. They were talking about life after football, so that was awesome.”
Sewell admits it was important that Alabama offered his brother. Family seems like a significant factor for the four-star as he looks at working on a top list of schools - one major reason why Nevada is so engaged in his recruitment.
“It’s definitely big,” Sewell said. “I have two brothers in Nevada and now my brother is picking up some heat. Getting to play with at least one of them would be big.”
As for Oklahoma, that could be tricky. The Sooners had been considered a serious school on his list but with Bob Stoops retiring, Sewell said he’s no longer sure about the Big 12 power.
“I don’t know about Oklahoma after Bob Stoops (left),” Sewell said. “We had a relationship over Twitter so I’m going to have to see about that.”
The St. George Desert Hills standout said he’s not certain about a decision timetable but would like to get it done before his senior season.
