Huskies Counting on Powell to Finally Shore Up the Secondary

The loss of the veteran cornerback was a huge blow to the UW defense.

Dan Raley | Nov 4, 2022

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Washington Huskies

For all the good things that have happened to the University of Washington football team this season, it's been difficult to watch an injury-riddled and short-handed defensive secondary back on its heels, getting beaten badly.

Those scorched-earth Husky defenders often have given up a score almost immediately following one pushed across by the UW offense.

Young cornerbacks continually have made mistakes and paid for it in live time on Saturdays rather than doing this hidden away on a practice field.

It's been costly, with the Arizona State game specifically one the UW should have won but didn't, all because its secondary couldn't stop anyone.

In that meeting, the Huskies kept grinding and grinding away to stay in it and even tied the score late at 38-all — only to turn around and give up an instant, game-winning touchdown pass to the grateful Sun Devils.

However, eight games into the season, Kalen DeBoer's coaching staff says it is ready to fully embrace a secondary finally back to full strength for Friday night's game against Oregon State at Husky Stadium.

It's interesting, too, how the designated savior for fixing this mess is sophomore cornerback Mishael Powell, who not too long ago didn't have a football scholarship and had to convince people he readily deserved one.

Powell has gone from a supposedly inconsequential walk-on player who wouldn't go away to someone as important as anyone to the immediate fortunes for this Husky football team.

"It's a testament to my work ethic to staying disciplined," said Powell said of his changing roles. "I'm working on my craft and always staying consistent."

The fourth-season sophomore, even while missing four games with an injury, has more UW cornerback starts than anyone on the roster with six over two seasons. He has 3 career pass break-ups and is still awaiting his first interception.

The UC Davis transfer has started five of the eight Husky games, though he's been healthy enough to play only three of them start to finish. For his Big Sky team, he came up with 4 interceptions and 23 pass break-ups. He has a UW PBU.

This promising redshirt freshman cornerback has been targeted and exposed for his experience while starting a pair of UW games and having to play too much too soon this season. He intercepted a pass at Arizona State -- just one of two by Husky corners this season -- and picked up a PBU.

Another young corner, Jackson overcame a late start because of injuries and started a pair of games against Arizona State and Arizona out of necessity. He's played in three games total and has no defensive passing stats.

The true freshman from Houston has appeared in six games, effectively burning his redshirt allowance. The coaching staff considered starting him at California before Powell regained his health to get back on the field. He has one PBU.

JULIUS IRVIN :: Joe Nicholson/USA TODAY Sports

He made the move from safety to cornerback in the middle of the Kent State season opener, replacing the injured Perryman. He started three games before he presumably became injured. He intercepted a pass against Michigan State, the only other pass theft by a UW corner besides Banks.

In his second year in the Husky program, Spears hasn't played, apparently not ready to get thrown into the fire. The Oakland, California, product is big for his position, carrying a 6-foot-2, 190-pound frame. He's appears to be making progress, recently earning scout-team player of the week honors.

Awarding a scholarship to Powell was one of the first team moves made by DeBoer, who through his research and likely a glance at last year's game film told him this player was deserving of serious football responsibility and corresponding financial aid.

Powell is pegged to start again for the first time since the Huskies' 39-28 victory over Michigan State, a game in which the 6-foot-1, 204-pound sophomore Seattle was injured. He was a huge loss.

"I think he's an elite communicator," UW co-defensive coordinator Chuck Morrell said. "I think he plays with a lot of confidence. I think he garners respect."

In Powell's absence, dovetailing on the top of the loss of grad transfer Jordan Perryman getting injured, the UW tried junior Julius Irvin and redshirt freshmen Davon Banks and Elijah Jackson as fill-in starters, and used true freshman Jaivion Green as a reserve to the point he gave up his first-year eligibility.

Unlike those younger players, Powell never got on the field in his first or second seasons in the program. It wasn't until 2021 that he played in all 12 games and started three. He understands the enormous pressure that was placed on his younger teammates.

"It was good for them in the long run, them having a learning experience," he said. "They did mess up a few things, but I think it's just going to make them even stronger for next year and the upcoming years. They're going to be really good."

Powell, notably aggressive while his teammates have tiptoed around the field trying not to slip up, brings 16 games of experience with him as he prepares for the stretch run. He broke up three passes a year ago, but has no passing stats this season. He's still looking for his first Husky interception.

While this season was fulfilling for him after receiving a scholarship and a full-time starting job, the veteran corner had to be somewhat downcast over having his playing time taken from him in the third game when he was hobbled. He just keep battling.

"That was a bit disappointing, but I kind of just flushed it real quick," Powell said, "and tried to do as much as I can to get back on the field."

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Published Nov 4, 2022

DAN RALEY

Dan Raley has worked for the Seattle Post-Intelligencer, Atlanta Journal-Constitution and Fairbanks Daily News-Miner, as well as for MSN.com and Boeing, the latter as a global aerospace writer. His sportswriting career spans four decades and he's covered University of Washington football and basketball during much of that time. In a working capacity, he's been to the Super Bowl, the NBA Finals, the MLB playoffs, the Masters, the U.S. Open, the PGA Championship and countless Final Fours and bowl games.