(OU Football) NOT a 5-Star Recruit

[SoonerTraveler]

Not a 5-Star recruit, but an ALL AMERICAN

Here is an example of why I do not get overly excited by recruiting rankings. Whatever the sport, I prefer to "wait and see" the student-athlete actually develop and perform on the college level.

(11/16/2018) Article by John Rohde / Special to SoonerSports.com
http://www.soonersports.com/ViewArticle.dbml?DB_OEM_ID=31000&ATCLID=211780928

[EXCERPT from a long article] Offensive lineman Ben Powers was so misjudged coming out of high school in Kansas he wasn't even allowed to walk on at an in-state major-college program.

Fast forward four years: The Oklahoma senior guard this week was selected as a semifinalist for the prestigious Outland Trophy.

Voted upon by the Football Writers Association of America, the Outland Trophy is presented to college football's best interior lineman on offense or defense. Powers is one of eight semifinalists and the field will be reduced to three finalists next week.

As an Outland semifinalist, it's almost a certainty the FWAA will select Powers as a first-team All-American. In his three seasons at OU, Powers twice has been a Big 12 second-team all-conference pick and was a first-team all-conference preseason selection this summer along with fellow left-side Sooners offensive lineman Bobby Evans.

Pretty heady stuff considering the impression Powers left on major-college coaches while at Wichita's Kapaun Mt. Carmel High School.

“I had zero offers out of high school. Zero,” Powers explained at Big 12 Media Days last July in Frisco, Texas. “The best offer I had was (Division II) Pittsburg (Kan.) State. I'm talking no Division I, no FCS, no nothing. Nobody wanted me. So I bet on myself and I went to junior college.”

Powers was particularly miffed at Kansas State. “They didn't even want me to walk on,” Powers said. “You know the recommended walk-on thing? No, not even that.”

....... [read complete article at the link provided above]