A three-star recruit out of Green Cove Springs, FL, Avril was 247’s 59th-best recruit in the state in 2004. It would be an accomplishment if you recognized five of the 58 names listed ahead of him now. He was the 24th-ranked outside linebacker in the nation, behind guys like Lawrence Timmons, Dannell Ellerbe, and Jerod Mayo, but not much else by NFL standards. Avril chose to attend Purdue, a team that had been a regular in bowl games under head coach Joe Tiller, but that would soon change.
Avril played 10 games at strongside linebacker in 2005 then moved to defensive end in 2006 and recorded 30 tackles for a loss, 12.