Washington transfer DB Mishael Powell commits to Miami

Miami beat Florida for one of the most impactful defensive backs available in the transfer portal. On Wednesday night, on the back end of an official visit, former Washington safety Mishael Powell announced his commitment to the Hurricanes after spending much of Tuesday and all day Wednesday around the program.

This came fresh off of a trip to Gainesville on Monday, where the 6-foot-1, 210-pounder reconnected with Will Harris, who recruited him to Washington out of Seattle O’Dea during the 2019 recruiting cycle.

Instead, Powell is taking his talents a bit further south to play for Miami in the secondary as a sixth-year senior with one year of eligibility fresh off an appearance in the title game against Michigan.

This past season for the national runner-ups, Powell started all 15 games as a slot corner or safety and has plenty of versatility in the secondary as a player who can line up at multiple spots.

In 876 snaps this past season, Powell played 477 in the slot, 165 in the box, and 122 at free safety. He finished the year with a strong 73.9 coverage grade and brought in three interceptions, including one in the Pac-12 title game against Oregon, and defended nine more passes.

He finished the season with 38 tackles with 2.5 coming for a loss. In the national championship game, Powell was credited with two assisted tackles and allowed one catch for 12 yards.

Powell, who holds an 89 ranking as a transfer, could very well land in Lance Guidry’s safety room at Miami, but has the ability to play different positions, which gives the Hurricanes a chess piece on the defensive side of the ball that they can move around.

The program lost both of their starting safeties from a season ago in Kamren Kinchens and James Williams to the NFL and have worked to fill those vacancies. In December, Miami went out and got former Vanderbilt safety Savion Riley, who spent two years in Nashville as a safety who started twice this past season and finished fifth on the team with 48 tackles despite playing in just eight games.

The Hurricanes also signed top safety target Zaquan Patterson, who enrolled early and will compete for a key role in the defensive backfield.

With Powell on board, the Hurricanes have brought in nine transfers this off-season headlined by Washington State quarterback Cameron Ward, the No. 11 overall player and No. 3 quarterback in the 247Sports Transfer Rankings.