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#35 Gabe Powers

Redshirt Senior | 6-3 | 233 lbs. (-4) | Marysville, Ohio

• Position: Linebacker
• Previous College: The Ohio State University
• Projection: Second-String
• Remaining Eligibility: 1 year
• Status: On Scholarship

Gabriel Powers (Jan. 13, 2004) is a talented transfer linebacker from Ohio State who helped to replace Austin Moore at WILL last season. He is majoring in criminal justice.

In 2022, Powers played in two games for the Buckeyes — seeing action against both Toledo and Rutgers — as he retained his redshirt. He then played in 10 games in 2023 as a reserve linebacker and on special teams, carding six tackles and a tackle for loss during the season.

Three of Powers’ tackles came on kickoff coverage, including two against Youngstown State, and he tallied a career-high three tackles against Minnesota — which included his first career tackle for loss — and earned Academic All-Big Ten honors after the season.

In 2024, Powers broke through for the national champions, seeing action in 12 games as a reserve linebacker and on special teams. He came away with five tackles on the year, including a season-high two against Western Michigan, and intercepted a pass and returned it 29 yards for a touchdown in the season opener against Akron.

Powers also broke up a pass at Michigan State and played alongside current K-State offensive lineman George Fitzpatrick (and former K-State quarterback Will Howard) at Ohio State. Learn more about him in this interview.

After transferring to K-State, Powers played in all 12 games last season as a regular member of the playing rotation at linebacker, in addition to earning his first career start against Army as he posted 21 tackles and 1.5 tackles for loss over his 189 defensive snaps and 36 special teams plays.

He posted a career-high five tackles against Army, while he had four in the season opener against Iowa State and three at Oklahoma State; registered a full tackle for loss in the season finale against Colorado and half a tackle for loss against Army; and earned Academic All-Big 12 honors following the season.

Powers prepped under head coach Brent Johnson at Marysville (Ohio) High School, where he was regarded as the 10th-best linebacker nationally in the class by 247Sports, ESPN and Rivals, while ESPN rated him the fifth-best overall prospect in the state of Ohio.

He also was rated as a top-200 prospect for the Class of 2022, ranked No. 107 by ESPN, No. 113 overall by 247Sports, No. 130 by Rivals and No. 163 by On3.

Powers was named the Gatorade Player of the Year and USA TODAYAthlete of the Year in the state of Ohio in 2021, and also was a two-time defensive player of the year and first team all-state honoree.

He made 90 tackles, 17 tackles for loss and six sacks during his senior season as he led the Monarchs to a 12-1 record, after he tallied 61 tackles, four sacks, four forced fumbles and an interception as a junior.

Rated a 5-star linebacker, Powers originally chose Ohio State over an impressive list of Power 5 offers from Arkansas, Boston College, Colorado, Florida State, Georgia Tech, Iowa State, Kentucky, hated archrival Michigan, Michigan State, Minnesota, Nebraska, Notre Dame, Penn State, Pittsburgh, Stanford, Tennessee, USC, West Virginia and Wisconsin, as well as strong recruiting interest from Purdue and Brent Venables at Clemson.

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