Ohio State football: OSU’s newest five-star
By Del Barris
An Ohio State football commit just added another star next to his name.
An Ohio State football commit for its 2022 class has had another star added to his rating. Rivals has made Marysville linebacker Gabe Powers a five-star player. Why is this a big deal? Because there aren’t a whole lot of guys who are given a five-star rating.
Rivals has only 27 in their rankings, 247 Sports lists 35, and ESPN only 12. As we progress towards the early signing period in late December, you’ll see more players moved to five-star status, but it won’t be all that many. When you get named a five-star, you’re in rarified recruiting air.
The 6’4”, 230-pound Powers is Ohio’s second-ranked recruit. He’s just behind fellow Ohio State football commit and linebacker C.J. Hicks. Powers plays outside linebacker on his high school team and has become an adept pass rusher. The consensus is he’s much more comfortable against the run and rushing the passer than he is in pass coverage.
I know the Buckeyes are in almost desperate need of linebackers, but with that scouting report combined with his size already, I can see him being moved to defensive end at some point in his Ohio State career.
The thing to keep in mind about Powers becoming a five-star is he’s rated as such by just one recruiting website. They all operate independently of each other. So, while Rivals has moved him to five-star status, 247 Sports has yet to do so.
This doesn’t make one correct and the other not. Both do a great job covering recruiting and rating players. I tend to use 247 Sports’ rankings because I’m a VIP member to Bucknuts, so I take advantage of all they make available to me.
Next. One Big Ten team to beware of. dark
Will another of Ohio State’s 2022 commits reach five-star status? In all likelihood, yes. Defensive back Jyaire Brown and tackle Tegra Tshabola, both from Lakota High School in West Chester, along with receivers Kaleb Brown and Kyion Graves are a few who appear to be on the cusp of five-star status. One thing all of this tells you is the 2022 Buckeye recruiting class is loaded…as usual.