17 DB Jaylen Kelly-Powell prepares for big season

At one point, Jaylen Kelly-Powell wondered when he would receive his first Division I offer, since a lot of his teammates at Detroit Cass Tech were racking them up like crazy. But now the 6-0, 180-pounder is up to four offers now, Miami (Ohio), Northwestern, Eastern Michigan, and Toledo, but he still wants to work as if he didn't have any of those offers.

"It feel great to have offers now as a sophomore," said Kelly-Powell. "But I still need to keep grinding."

Kelly-Powell certainly has high major Division I ability, and also has Ohio State and Pittsburgh on his radar as well. He plans to attend both school's spring game, and hopes to hear about an offer somewhere down the line.

But for now, Kelly-Powell is continuing to let his recruitment play itself out, and is focused on his off-season workout, in preparation for the upcoming season at Cass Tech, which Kelly-Powell will be called upon heavily in the secondary.

"My off-season is going great," he said. "I am just working on my technique mostly."

That's because Kelly-Powell is making the switch from safety to cornerback. Kelly-Powell shouldn't have any issues making the move from an athletic standpoint, and feels the move will benefit him in the long run.

"I am making the switch from safety to cornerback, and to me, I believe it's not going to be a big adjustment," he said. "The safety should know how to run his defense.

"I wasn't thrilled at first, but coach, Coach Parker, explained to me why the move was good, and let me see it for myself. Now I am looking forward to the move, and I want to show colleges that I am an all-around player."

Cass Tech is obviously well-known for its defensive back play over the years, and has produced some good ones at each level. Kelly-Powell hopes to be that next great one of the program, and owes all that he learned to one of his former teammates, who actually went overlooked as a player at Cass Tech.

"I believe I can be one of the next defensive backs of out Cass Tech," said Kelly-Powell. "I learned form Phillip Parham, who was cornerback first, and then a safety. He taught me the mental aspect of the game of playing defense, and that I had to know everyone's job."

Cass Tech lost a lot of talent from last year's team, but still return a lot with Kelly-Powell, and few other incoming juniors, and a loaded crop of incoming senior players. So he doesn't expect 2015 to be a down year for the Technicians if he has anything to say about it.

"I believe this is going to be a bug year for us," he said. "We want to show the city of Detroit that we still have it, even though we are young."