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There were a variety of reasons Miami Norland High senior defensive tackle Teko Powell verbally committed to Illinois late last week.

For one, it’s not that cold in Champaign. At least nothing he couldn’t handle by pulling one more coat out of his suitcase upon getting off the plane when he visited in November. (OK, so he’ll need another one for January weather.)

Powell also wants to major in electrical engineering, saying, “One of my goals is to make it to the NFL, but say I don’t make it, I don’t want to be one of those guys like, ‘Now what?’” In case you haven’t heard, the favorite pastimes of engineers on campus are studying and bragging about how they are part of a top-five engineering program in the country.

But for you football fans who want to know what Powell’s effect will be at Memorial Stadium as opposed to in Everitt Laboratory, here’s the most relevant aspect: One of the staff’s selling points was that Powell will have a great chance for early playing time, which was music to his ears.

“They told me when I come in I will be in the rotation because they are very thin at D-tackles, and they’re losing a D-end (Whitney Mercilus) this year,” Powell said.

At 6-foot-2, 280 pounds, Powell in large part relies on his quickness and athleticism to make plays on the inside. But that’s not the only spot he could see time at. The Illinois coaches mentioned to him that he could see some time at defensive end if need be, an idea to which Powell responds jokingly, “Wherever they need me, I’ll play. Snapper, kicker. I can play quarterback, too.”

All kidding aside, Powell said he’s excited to commit to a program that he said is “upcoming” and “on the rise.” Defensive line coach Keith Gilmore, the only coach retained from former coach Ron Zook’s staff, was crucial in his recruitment, as Powell noticed the work he did in helping defensive tackle Corey Liuget and now Mercilus become NFL-caliber players.

“Coach Gilmore, he turns two-star and three-star defensive linemen coming out of high school – if they’re willing to take the coaching – he turns them into major athletes. That’s what I liked,” said Powell, rated as a three-star recruit by Rivals.com.

Put it all together, and Powell said of Illinois, “It just felt like home to me.”

“It just felt like I fit, like that’s where I should be at,” he said.