Twitter: @DatBoiLtrain| @calfootball
Instagram: datboiltrain | cal_football
Powell began his career at Cal in January of 2015 as a mid-year enrollee and spent one season with Cal football as a true freshman in 2015 before leaving the program following the campaign and after appearing in a single game. Powell was a prep All-American and two-way standout as running back and linebacker. He was selected for the Semper Fidelis All-American Bowl® after his 2014 senior season in which he earned All-Sac-Joaquin Section, first-team All-Metro (Sacramento Bee) and Metropolitan League Defensive Player of the Year honors with the latter two both the second of his career. His defensive stats that came from a hybrid defensive end/linebacker position as a senior were highlighted by totals of 22.0 sacks, 36.0 tackles for loss and 95 tackles. He also added 969 all-purpose yards on offense for a team that finished 10-3 overall and reached the semifinals of the Division III Sac-Joaquin Section playoffs, rushing 65 times for 555 yards and seven touchdowns while making 20 catches for 414 yards receiving and 10 scores. Powell posted his biggest prep numbers on both offense (85 carries, 951 rushing yards, 10 TD; 1,206 all-purpose yards) and defense (118 tackles, 38.0 tackles for loss, 23.0 sacks) as a 2013 junior when he was a second-team All-State Underclass selection by Cal-Hi Sports and earned the first of back-to-back Metropolitan League Defensive Player of the Year honors for a team that finished 11-3 overall and reached the finals of the section playoffs.
Cal Career (2015)
• Spent one season with Cal football as a true freshman in 2015 and played in a single game before leaving the program following the campaign
• Played in the 2015 spring game after entering Cal as a mid-year enrollee in January of 2015 and had the team’s only rushing touchdown on a four-yard first-half score while co-leading the squad with 18 rushing yards on four carries
• Primarily wore No. 22 during his Cal career but also saw action in No. 26 during the spring of 2015
Freshman (2015)
• Appeared in one game off the bench in the season-opener vs. Grambling State
• One of four players and two freshmen along with fellow freshman Ross Bowers and junior college transfers Derron Brown and Devante Wilson who were mid-year enrollees in January and participated with the team during its spring practices
• Had the team’s only rushing touchdown on a four-yard first-half score and co-led the squad with 18 yards on four carries in the spring game
Sacramento HS (Class of 2015)
• Played three seasons of varsity football from 2012-14 with his teams combining for a 29-9 overall mark and an 18-3 Metropolitan League record
• Posted career totals of 1,763 rushing yards on 185 carries for a 9.8 yard average and 19 TDs over 38 games, while adding 1,068 yards receiving on 62 catches and 19 TD receptions, as well as 30 yards on a kick return and 30 on an interception return for a total of 2,891 all-purpose yards
• Totaled 230 career points on 38 touchdowns (19 rushing, 19 receiving) and one successful two-point conversion
• Also played defense including a primary role during his final two seasons in which he totaled 213 tackles, 74.0 tackles for loss, 45.0 sacks (-304 yards), two interceptions that he returned 30 yards, three pass breakups, seven fumble recoveries, eight forced fumbles and 27 quarterback hurries
• Selected for and played in the Semper Fidelis All-American Bowl® following his 2014 senior season, registering 11 carries for 36 yards and one reception for 11 yards receiving
• Chosen for the U-19 team for the 2015 International Bowl but did not play in the contest after enrolling at Cal in January of 2015
• Played in the 58th Annual Sacramento Bee Optimist All-Star Classic following his senior season when he led his South team to a dominating 40-12 win by carrying the ball four times for a team-high 61 yards including a 55-yard touchdown run in the fourth quarter and adding four tackles on defense
• Named All-Sac-Joaquin Section, first-team All-Metro (Sacramento Bee), Metropolitan League Defensive Player of the Year and a team captain as a two-way player during his senior season
• Led the Sac-Joaquin Section as a senior with 22.0 sacks, while adding 36.0 tackles for loss, 95 tackles, four forced fumbles, three fumble recoveries, one pass defended and nine quarterback hurries from his hybrid defensive end/linebacker position for a team that finished 10-3 overall and 6-1 in the Metropolitan League before falling in the semifinals of the Division III Sac-Joaquin Section playoffs
• Added 969 all-purpose yards and 17 touchdowns on offense as a senior, rushing 65 times for 555 yards and seven touchdowns while making 20 catches for 414 yards receiving and 10 scores
• Posted his biggest rushing (85 carries, 951 rushing yards, 10 TD), all-purpose yardage (1,206) and defensive (118 tackles, 23.0 sacks for 159 yards, 38.0 TFL, one interception for 30 return yards, two passes defensed, three fumble recoveries for a career-high tying 65 yards, four forced fumbles, 18 quarterback hurries) numbers as a 2013 junior when he was a second-team All-State Underclass selection by Cal-Hi Sports, Metropolitan League Defensive Player of the Year and a first-team All-Metropolitan League selection for a squad that finished 11-3 overall and 6-1 in the conference before reaching the finals of the section playoffs
• Contributed 716 all-purpose yards and eight touchdowns as a sophomore in 2012 with 257 rushing yards and two touchdowns on 35 carries to go along with 459 yards receiving and six touchdown grabs on a career-high 22 catches including a 95-yard touchdown reception that was the longest of his career for a team that was 8-3 overall, 6-1 in the Metropolitan League and reached the first round of the section playoffs
• Added one interception and one fumble recovery on defense as a sophomore
• Had career totals of three kick returns for 30 yards and one punt return for zero yards
• Registered single-game career bests on offense of 152 rushing yards (on just four carries as a junior vs. Johnson) that included a career-long 87-yard touchdown run, five catches (sophomore vs. El Camino), yards receiving (junior vs. Laguna Creek), 181 all-purpose yards (senior vs. Laguna Creek) and three touchdown catches (senior vs. Johnson), while his top single-game defensive numbers came with 11 tackles and four quarterback hurries (senior vs. Vista del Lago), 4.5 sacks (senior vs. Valley) and 31 sack yards (senior vs. El Camino)
• Carried the ball 18 times for 137 yards while also recording one forced fumble and one fumble recovery he returned 40 yards in the Division III Sac-Joaquin Section Championship as a junior
• Wore No. 10 in football
• Also played basketball and shattered the glass on a basket at Sacramento High School on a dunk shortly before arriving at Cal
Recruiting Notes (Class of 2015)
Stars: ESPN (4), 247Sports (4), Rivals (4), Tom Lemming (3 Plus), 247Sports Composite (3), Scout (3)
National Overall Player Ratings: 247Sports Composite (388)
National Athlete Ratings: Rivals (12)
National Running Back Ratings: 247Sports (24), ESPN (26), 247Sports Composite (32), Scout (50)
Regional Overall Player Ratings: ESPN (49)
West Running Back Ratings: Scout (4)
California Overall Player Ratings: ESPN (33), 247Sports (40), Rivals (43), 247Sports Composite (55)
California Running Back Ratings: Scout (2)
Ratings/Scout Grades: 247Sports (91), 247Sports Composite (0.8827), ESPN (80),Rivals (5.8)
• Given the “Best Feet” award and named the No. 8 player on the West in the 2015 Semper Fidelis All-American Bowl® and the No. 6 top performer on the West team on day three of the bowl game’s practices by Rivals
• Ranked as the nation’s No. 5 middle linebacker by Scout prior to his senior prep campaign
• Listed as a Sac-Joaquin Section Player to Watch by MaxPreps prior to his junior prep season
What They Are Saying
• Sonny Dykes
“We’re excited about Lonny and his future at Cal, and we’re excited that he is a part of our program. Lonny has done a great job in being able to graduate early from high school. He is coming to Cal as a running back but is a unique athlete who was a really productive player on both sides of the football in high school. Lonny brings toughness, strength and a strong work ethic to our program.”
• Lonny Powell
“I chose Cal for several reasons. I looked at all of the running backs that have come out of Cal with many now in the NFL and some with rings. I also liked the academic side of Cal, want to study business and am looking forward to getting into business school. Being close to my home in Sacramento also factored into my decision because I have a lot of friends and family that would like to see me play in college and it’s exciting to know that they can easily come here to watch me.”
• Paul Daugherty (Sacramento High School Head Coach)
“He’s the hardest player we have on game day. He’s on the field all the time. He leads the right way. He’s incredibly unselfish when it comes to football, statistics and accolades.”
• ESPN
“Powell is a physically dominant athlete with very good offensive and defensive production as a running back and outside linebacker; has the size, strength and playing speed for either position at the power conference level of play.”
• Rivals
“Powell is a hard runner with a versatile skill set that should translate well to the Pac-12.”
• Scout
“Powell is immensely physical and refuses to go down. Even if you can't get him the ball in space, and he has to navigate traffic, he's shown that he has balance and lateral quickness of backs much smaller than him. Lonny’s a pretty special talent. He’s that big, strong – obviously Marshawn Lynch would be the comparison because he’s a former Cal guy – physical downhill runner.”
Other
• Full name is Lonny J Powell
• Born November 26, 1997
• Parents are Lonny Powell and Latoya Givens
• Has spent time as a volunteer coach for the South Sacramento Vikings Pop Warner football team he played for as a youth
• One of nine children in his family as the middle of five boys while he also has four sisters
• Intended major is business administration
Last Updated
August 3, 2016
