When Gabe Powers committed to Ohio State back in August 2020, people in Marysville and Columbus basically acted like the next A.J. Hawk had just arrived. He was the local hero. A 6-foot-4, 230-pound wrecking ball who played everywhere for the Marysville Monarchs—punter, running back, linebacker. You name it, he did it. He was the 2021 Gatorade Ohio Player of the Year, a consensus five-star according to some, and the top-ranked linebacker in the state.
Fast forward to 2025. Gabe Powers Ohio State is a phrase that now belongs to the "what if" category of Buckeye history.
He isn’t in the Woody Hayes Athletic Center anymore. He isn’t running down the tunnel at the Shoe. Instead, Powers is suiting up for Kansas State in the Big 12. It’s a move that caught some fans off guard, but if you were watching the depth chart closely, the writing was on the wall for a while.
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The Marysville Legend vs. The Columbus Reality
Honestly, the hype was almost impossible to live up to. In high school, Gabe was a man among boys. He finished his senior year with 90 tackles and 17 tackles for loss. He led Marysville to a 12-1 record. When he signed with Ohio State in the 2022 class, he was part of a "Linebacker U" rebirth alongside C.J. Hicks and Sonny Styles.
But college ball is a different beast.
Specifically, Jim Knowles’ defense is a different beast. Under Knowles, the Buckeyes moved toward a 4-2-5 system. This basically means there are only two traditional linebacker spots on the field most of the time. If you aren’t one of those two, you’re either on special teams or you're a "package" player. Powers found himself stuck in that middle ground. He redshirted in 2022, played mostly special teams in 2023, and by 2024, despite some flashes of absolute brilliance, he just couldn't crack the starting rotation.
That Akron Pick-Six
If there was one moment that made Buckeyes fans think, "Okay, here he comes," it was the 2024 season opener against Akron. Powers snagged an interception and rumbled 29 yards for a touchdown. The stadium went nuts. It felt like the breakout moment everyone had been waiting for.
He looked fast. He looked like the five-star recruit we all saw on those Friday night highlight reels.
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But even after that, the snaps didn't really flood in. He finished that 2024 season with just five tackles. For a guy with his physical tools, that’s a tough pill to swallow. You’ve got guys like Sonny Styles moving from safety to linebacker and Arvell Reese surging up the depth chart. The room just got too crowded.
Why the Transfer to Kansas State Actually Makes Sense
By January 2025, the decision was made. Powers entered the transfer portal.
It wasn't a "he's not good enough" situation. It was a "he needs to play" situation. Kansas State is actually a perfect fit for a guy with his build. They run a 3-3-5 defense that loves big, athletic linebackers who can fly to the ball.
At Ohio State, Powers was listed at roughly 6-foot-4 and 242 pounds. He’s a big human being. In the Big 12, that size is a massive asset. Since moving to Manhattan, Kansas, he’s been wearing #35 and actually getting meaningful reps. In the 2025 season for the Wildcats, he played in all 12 games, recording 21 tackles and 1.5 tackles for loss.
- Year 1 (OSU): 2 games, Redshirt.
- Year 2 (OSU): 10 games, 6 tackles, 1 TFL.
- Year 3 (OSU): 12 games, 5 tackles, 1 INT (TD).
- Year 4 (KSU): 12 games, 21 tackles.
You can see the trajectory changing. He went from being a special teams ace in Columbus to a legitimate rotational piece in a power conference.
The Jim Knowles Verdict
Before he left, Jim Knowles actually had some high praise for Powers. He called him one of the "most improved guys" in practice during the latter half of the 2023 season. Knowles is known for being pretty blunt, so that wasn't just coach-speak. The issue was never talent; it was the specific geometry of the Ohio State defense.
Knowles needs linebackers who are basically oversized safeties—guys who can cover slot receivers and still hit like a truck. Powers, while athletic, has the frame of a traditional thumper. He’s a downhill player.
What Most People Get Wrong
There’s a narrative that he "busted." That’s just wrong.
In the modern era of the transfer portal, leaving a blue-blood program like Ohio State isn't a failure. It’s a business decision. Powers realized that with Cody Simon, Sonny Styles, and the emergence of younger guys like Payton Pierce and Garrett Stover, his path to 50+ snaps a game in Columbus was blocked.
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He didn't want to spend his senior year on the kickoff unit. Can you blame him?
Actionable Insights for Buckeyes Fans
If you're still tracking Gabe's career, here is what you need to keep an eye on as he finishes his collegiate journey:
- Watch the Big 12 Highlights: He’s playing in a system that allows him to be more aggressive. His tackle numbers at K-State are already significantly higher than his career totals at OSU.
- The "Edge" Potential: There was always talk at Ohio State about moving him to defensive end or a hybrid "Jack" position. Keep an eye on if K-State starts using him as a situational pass rusher.
- Draft Stock: Scouts still love his 6-foot-4 frame. If he can put together a 50-60 tackle season in 2026, he’s a lock for an NFL training camp invite.
The story of Gabe Powers and Ohio State is really a story about the current state of college football. You can be a hometown hero and a five-star recruit, but if the scheme doesn't fit your frame, the portal is your best friend. He’s proving that there is plenty of life after the Buckeyes, and honestly, he looks a lot more comfortable in purple and silver.
Check the Kansas State box scores this coming Saturday. You'll likely see #35 making plays in the gaps, which is exactly what he was born to do back in Marysville.