Ohio State '22 OH LB (RS SO) - Gabe Powers

Gabe Powers becomes the fourth Ohio State freshman to shed his black stripe since the end of the regular season. https://t.co/ys0DGmDWuc

— Eleven Warriors (@11W) December 20, 2022

 

The Buckeyes’ second-rated linebacker in the 2022 class saw the field even less than Hicks. Powers didn’t get any snaps on defense and only played on special teams against Toledo and Wisconsin. Powers didn’t shed his black stripe until the end of the regular season, at which point he was the 20th Ohio State freshman to do so.

2023 OUTLOOK

The Marysville, Ohio, native and No. 101 prospect in the 2022 cycle will likely face another year of development in Knowles’ system with Eichenberg, Chambers and Simon expected to handle most of Ohio State’s linebacking duties again in 2023. But Powers will be in the mix alongside Hicks and Reid Carrico among young LBs working to secure a better spot on the depth chart this offseason.

 

Marysville's @GabePowers21 spent almost all of his freshman season at Ohio State watching and learning. Now the linebacker believes he's ready for a bigger role in 2023. https://t.co/iri2oPCGWD

— Bill Rabinowitz 🗞 (@brdispatch) March 15, 2023

 

Gabe Powers building confidence, progressing toward role with Buckeyeshttps://t.co/duygI4tMl8

— Lettermen Row (@LettermenRow) March 17, 2023

 

LB GABE POWERS
Chambers wasn’t the only Buckeye linebacker to make a couple of highlight plays in Saturday’s scrimmage. Knowles’ two-linebacker alignment and tight rotations left highly-touted first-year prospects C.J. Hicks and Gabe Powers without any on-field opportunities at the position last season, but the latter made his second-team reps count on Saturday.

As mentioned above, the Ohio State defense came out on top on 11 out of 12 plays during a situational red zone drill early in practice. Two of those stops can be credited directly to Powers, who broke up one pass in the middle of the field and another closer to the sideline as McCord and Brown struggled to find open receivers.

Both plays came in quick succession during the same practice period, but Powers showed a glimpse of his potential nonetheless as he continues working toward a bigger role on defense ahead of his second season with the Buckeyes. Powers also made a pair of short-yardage run stops against Trayanum, with one coming near the goal line and another coming on a fourth-down rush.

 

Even if they don't factor heavily into the rotation this season, C.J. Hicks and Gabe Powers showed OSU’s future at linebacker is bright with standout performances this spring. https://t.co/BqB10SxU33

— Eleven Warriors (@11W) May 29, 2023

 

• On getting lots of reps in the spring due to injuries to other players, Powers said the opportunity gave him “a lot of experience” and that “those reps helped a lot.” He said he knows the system “really well” now and that it should be a big camp for him.
• On entering his second year, Power says “there’s a huge difference” because he knows what to expect, what to do and knows the defensive scheme. He said he has much more confidence with this camp than a year ago.
• Powers called being coached by James Laurinaitis “amazing” and gushed about his knowledge of the linebacker position. “He’s an amazing coach, I’ve learned so much since he’s been here from techniques and just his knowledge of football.”
• Powers said linebacker meetings are run by different coaches depending on the situation, ranging from Jim Knowles, Laurinatis and Sam McGrath.