#36 Gabe Powers — A linebacker who runs back interceptions for touchdowns? Yeah, I think Ohio State transfer Gabe Powers (36) will fit in *just fine* here. | Photo by Ian Johnson/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images

In which BracketCat counts down the 35th day until the 2025 kickoff with a profile of Kansas State linebacker Gabe Powers.

#35 Gabe Powers

Redshirt Junior | 6-3 | 237 lbs. | Marysville, Ohio

Position: Linebacker
Previous College: The Ohio State University
Projection: Starter
Status: On Scholarship

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

In 2022, Powers played in two games — 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.

Last season, 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 at Ohio State. Learn more about him in this interview.

He 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.

Powers 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.

He was named the Gatorade Player of the Year and USA TODAY Athlete 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.

Powers made 90 tackles, 17 tackles for loss and six sacks 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, he 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.