Kansas State needed a linebacker to step into the spot Austin Romaine left behind, and Gabe Powers has started to answer that call.
Romaine’s offseason move to the transfer portal sent him to Texas Tech, leaving the Wildcats without their top linebacker from last season and forcing them to sort out a new look in the middle of the defense. Powers, a fifth-year senior, has emerged as the player helping steady things.
He showed it in last Saturday’s 34-7 win over Washington State, when he finished with four tackles. Through the season, Powers has six tackles, and his role should stay front and center when Kansas State closes out non-conference play Saturday against Tulane. Big 12 play follows the next week with a road trip to Cincinnati.
K-State coach Collin Klein didn’t hold back when describing what Powers brings.
"There's a mentality. His football IQ is elite," K-State first-year coach Collin Klein said of Powers.
"His processing speed is elite. His communication is elite.
It's not even him making plays and getting himself in a position to make plays, but he gets everybody else and makes a lot of things right around him as well."
Powers’ path to this point has taken him through Ohio State, where he spent his first three seasons before transferring. In 2025, he played in all 12 games and posted 21 tackles. Now, as he works toward the finish of his college career, Kansas State is leaning on him to help fill a major hole.
The Wildcats also received their conference schedule for this season:
Dec. 19 vs. Iowa State Cyclones
Dec. 30 at BYU Cougars
Jan. 2 at Utah Utes
Jan. 6 vs. UCF Knights
Jan. 9 vs. Arizona Wildcats
Jan. 13 at West Virginia Mountaineers
Jan. 16 at Iowa State Cyclones
Jan. 20 vs. Houston Cougars
Jan. 24 vs. Arizona State Sun Devils
Jan. 27 at Cincinnati Bearcats
Jan. 31 at Kansas Jayhawks
Feb. 4 vs. TCU Horned Frogs
Feb. 7 vs. Texas Tech Red Raiders
Feb. 10 at Baylor Bears
Feb. 15 at Oklahoma State Cowboys
Feb. 20 vs Kansas Jayhawks
Feb. 25 vs. Baylor Bears
Feb. 28 at Colorado Buffaloes
In Other News...
Kansas State Win Revealed More Than Fans Will Like Before Big 12 Play
Kansas State closed non-conference play with a 31-20 win over Tulane, moving to 3-0 and giving the Wildcats a clean runway into Big 12 action. Avery Johnson was the headliner, piling up a career-high 152 rushing yards and two touchdowns, while the defense again showed it can lean on depth up front to keep the team in games.
Still, the win also offered a few reminders of what will matter once the league schedule starts. The offensive line had stretches that looked vulnerable, and the Wildcats had to finish without safety Logan Bartley after he left early because of injury, while defensive lineman Jordan Allen did not play. The record looks good, but the next phase will tell Kansas State a lot more about how complete this team really is. [Read more 🡒]
Collin Klein Sounds Off On One Kansas State Problem After Win
Collin Klein came away from Kansas States 31-20 win over Tulane with plenty to like, and he made sure to credit the back-and-forth nature of the game. He praised both teams for the adjustments they made as the night wore on, pointed to the defenses ability to bend without breaking on long Tulane drives, and noted that the offense found a better rhythm with Avery helping steady things.
Even with the victory in hand, Klein kept coming back to the same issue: the penalties. He said the Wildcats have to be more disciplined moving forward, even after a game in which special teams also did its part by limiting Tulanes return game. For Kansas State, it was the kind of win that showed progress in a few areas while leaving at least one familiar problem sitting in plain view. [Read more 🡒]
Kansas State Heads Into Big 12 Play With Real Reason To Believe
Kansas State finished its non-conference schedule unbeaten after holding off Tulane 31-20 at Bill Snyder Family Stadium, and the bigger takeaway may be the way Avery Johnson keeps tilting games in the Wildcats favor. The quarterback accounted for 228 passing yards and 152 more on the ground, using his legs to finish the job with a 12-yard touchdown run in the fourth quarter.
That kind of dual-threat performance gives Kansas State something real to lean on as Big 12 play opens next week against Cincinnati. The Wildcats have a 3-0 record and, just as importantly, a growing sense that their offense has a clear identity heading into the part of the schedule that will say the most about them. [Read more 🡒]