Kansas State University

Kansas State wins recruiting battle for Ohio State football transfer Gabe Powers

Ohio State Buckeyes linebacker Gabe Powers (36) runs back an interception for a touchdown during the second half of Saturday’s NCAA Division I football game against the Akron Zips at Ohio Stadium.
Ohio State Buckeyes linebacker Gabe Powers (36) runs back an interception for a touchdown during the second half of Saturday’s NCAA Division I football game against the Akron Zips at Ohio Stadium. USA TODAY NETWORK

The Kansas State football team has landed a high-profile player out of the transfer portal.

Gabe Powers, a 6-foot-4 and 242-pound linebacker who spent the past few seasons at Ohio State, has committed to the Wildcats.

He chose K-State after making recruiting visits to Minnesota, North Carolina and Wisconsin.

His commitment was first reported by On3.

Powers was a coveted transfer, even though he only played sparingly with the Buckeyes. He made 12 tackles over the past two seasons and also returned one interception for a touchdown. But he was a four-star recruit coming out of high school in Marysville, Ohio. He will now look to reach his full potential in Manhattan.

Chris Klieman has prioritized linebackers during this transfer cycle after the Wildcats lost Kam Sallis, Terry Kirksy and Alec Marenco to the transfer portal at the conclusion of the regular season.

K-State football coach Chris Klieman also received good news from West Georgia transfer Mar’Quavious Moss this week. The 5-foot-11 and 190-pound safety committed to the Wildcats on Friday.

Moss and Powers join Jayden Rowe (Oklahoma) and Jaron Tibbs (Purdue) as the latest incoming transfers to commit to K-State.

The Wildcats have lost 16 players to the transfer portal. Of those departures, four have signed with new schools. They are Carver Willis (Washington), Jordan Dunbar (Bowling Green), Terry Kirksey (Connecticut) and Donovan Rieman (Louisiana Tech).

This story was originally published December 21, 2024 at 9:09 AM with the headline "Kansas State wins recruiting battle for Ohio State football transfer Gabe Powers."

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Kellis Robinett
The Wichita Eagle
Kellis Robinett covers Kansas State athletics for The Wichita Eagle and The Kansas City Star. A winner of more than a dozen national writing awards, he lives in Manhattan with his wife and four children.
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