The NCAA mandated Dead Period has caused visit cancellations and postponements across the nation. Class of 2022 Marysville (Ohio) star linebacker Gabe Powers is no different in that regard. The 6-foot-4, 220-pound prospect is one of a handful of prospects who is firmly in the discussion as Ohio's best in the 2022 class has had to delay what was supposed to be a busy spring travel schedule.
"I wanted to get down to Ohio State, but the one that I had planned was Notre Dame," Powers told BuckeyeGrove.com over the weekend. "I was supposed to get there the first Saturday in April. We were still planning out my other visits when the virus hit."
While most of the attention right now is on the impact this is having on the class of 2021, for players like Powers who wanted to get a head start on his decision making process by being active this spring, this has thrown things off quite a bit.
"I don't want to wait until my senior year to commit somewhere," he explained. "I want to do it after my junior year so this really impacts things a lot. I wanted to see spring practices and everything."
Fortunately for Ohio State, Powers has been able to make it to Columbus a few times in the past year, making the short drive south from Marysville once during the summer and again during the season for a couple of games. The last time Powers was on campus was for the win over Penn State in November.
"I really just remember the stadium and the atmosphere, it was crazy," Powers recalled of the PSU game. "Coming out and just seeing all of the fans, the way the coaches were with the players. Then going into the locker room after, getting to see the leadership there, it was great."
The Buckeyes used geography to their advantage to get Powers on campus early and have made him an early priority in their 2022 class.
"Just growing up being an Ohio State fan, it does mean a lot to me to have that offer," he said. "You can't imagine that the team you've grown up watching every day, that you have a chance to play for them. It means a lot to me."
Al Washington not only handles the linebacker duties for the Buckeyes but has experience recruiting the Central Ohio area that goes back several years. He has taken the lead so far in Powers' recruitment.
"Coach Washington, he has called into my high school coach and just getting to spend some time with him at the games, he's probably the best relationship that I have right now (among Ohio State's staff)," Powers stated. "My grandfather actually coached with coach Terwilliger."
Ohio State isn't the only member of the nation's elite that is showing serious interest in Powers. Florida State, Michigan, Notre Dame, and Penn State are just some of the programs to offer a scholarship already. The Clemson Tigers have indicated they'll do the same.
"They don't offer prospects until fourth quarter of their sophomore year," Powers said. "They said they don't usually come up to Ohio to recruit linebackers and that I'm special and they want me down there some time. I'm very interested in them."
A visit to Clemson at some point seems likely once Powers can get back on the road and check things out. The big-time prospect hopes to get out and see a plethora of schools once he gets the green light from the NCAA to do so.
In the mean time, it's all about trying to stay in shape the best he can while not being in school and trying to practice the advised social distancing.
"We have a weight set in the basement and a friend of ours was a power lifter and he has a big weight set so I go over there sometimes (to lift)," he explained. "We have like a big reservoir down there so I run like two miles and do hills."
Powers added that his biggest focus this off-season will be on speed training.
