Ohio
Better Know a Buckeye: Gabe VanSickle Gives Ohio State A Developmental Guard Prospect from the State Up North
Better Know A Buckeye is our look at every member of Ohio State’s 2024 recruiting class and how they became Buckeyes as they prepare to begin their OSU careers this fall.
Although he didn’t receive an offer from Ohio State until late in the process, Gabe VanSickle (No. 283 overall, No. 17 interior offensive lineman in the 2025 class) couldn’t pass up the opportunity to play for the Buckeyes when he was given the opportunity.
Now, he will be the only scholarship player from the state of Michigan on the Buckeyes’ 2024 roster.
How He Became a Buckeye
Gabe VanSickle
- Size: 6-5/315
- Pos: IOL
- School: Coopersville (Coopersville, Michigan)
- Star Rating: ★★★★
- Composite Rank: #283 (#17 IOL)
Ohio State’s 2024 offensive line class seemed to be getting quite full. With commitments from Devonta and Deontae Armstrong, Ian Moore and Marc Nave, along with the Buckeyes trying their best to land five-star offensive tackle Jordan Seaton, OSU seemed done with that position group in the cycle.
But when Nave decommitted from Ohio State in September, that changed. It was back to the drawing board and the Buckeyes had to add another offensive lineman to complete its 2024 class. That’s when Justin Frye and Co. began to go after VanSickle, who was committed to Northwestern.
After taking an unofficial visit to Columbus for the Penn State game on Oct. 21, VanSickle received an OSU offer, which inevitably changed his recruitment. Soon thereafter, the Michigan product took his official visit for Ohio State’s game against Michigan State on Nov. 11. VanSickle decommitted from Northwestern 10 days later, seemingly set to make the switch to the Buckeyes.
He committed to Ohio State two days later on Nov. 23, becoming the fourth and final offensive lineman in the Buckeyes’ 2024 class.
When VanSickle first committed to the Buckeyes, he was the 41st-ranked interior offensive lineman (No. 613 overall) in the class. He ended up being ranked as the No. 17 interior offensive lineman (No. 283 overall) in 247Sports’ composite rankings for the cycle.
High School Years
VanSickle played left tackle primarily for Coopersville High School (Coopersville, Michigan) and helped lead the team to an 8-3 record in his senior season. He showcased his physicality, explosiveness and aggression on nearly every snap while anchoring the offensive line.
Along with driving opposing defensive linemen to the ground on the gridiron, VanSickle also played basketball and track and field for Coopersville. In fact, he won the Division 2 Michigan high school state title in shot put last weekend with a throw of 61-2.
State Champ! 612!!!! @MrAnnen1 @OhioStateFB @CoachJFrye pic.twitter.com/1zAqHaR5He
— (@gabe_vansickle) June 2, 2024
Immediate Impact
While VanSickle was a high school standout, especially as a run blocker, he comes to Ohio State as a developmental prospect. The 6-foot-5, 315-pound offensive lineman will need to improve his footwork and acclimate to the speed of the college game during his first year or two in Columbus before making an impact on the field for the Buckeyes.
He’s prepared for the developmental process in front of him.
“I want to just keep getting stronger and better every day because if you get 1% better every day, that adds up after a while,” VanSickle told Eleven Warriors in May.
Considering he’s already bulked up to 315 pounds after being listed at 283 pounds as a recruit, one could say that those 1% days have already begun to add up.
He believes going against some of the best defensive linemen in the country every day in practice at Ohio State will allow him to maximize his potential.
“You want to go against the best to be the best,” VanSickle said. “Obviously that’s the main goal at Ohio State is to be the best, and they have the best defense in the nation. So if you want to be the best, you’ve got to go against the best.”
Although he didn’t arrive in Columbus until this past weekend, VanSickle has been working on improving his game with the help of Ohio State coaches via Zoom, while also doing lifting and agility drills as part of a workout plan given to him by the Buckeyes.
As Ohio State looks for improved play up front in 2024, it will count on VanSickle to provide depth and be a regular on the scout team even though he’s likely to redshirt as a freshman.
Long-Term Impact
Although he was primarily a left tackle in high school, VanSickle will likely be a guard for the Buckeyes, with the potential to also play center depending on how he develops.
His first shot at earning a spot on the two-deep will likely come in 2025, but even then, he will face plenty of competition to earn significant playing time. Carson Hinzman and Joshua Padilla will be the frontrunners to lead the depth chart at center next year while Luke Montgomery, Tegra Tshabola, Austin Siereveld and Devontae Armstrong will be among those vying for playing time at guard, along with whoever else the Buckeyes add in the 2025 class.
VanSickle’s best shot at earning a starting guard job for Ohio State will likely come in 2026 or beyond.
Player Comparison: Demetrius Knox
Knox redshirted his first season at Ohio State before playing primarily on special teams in 2015. Slowed by injuries in 2016, Knox took over for injured Branden Bowen as a starting guard for the last eight games of the 2017 season and never looked back, starting his final 20 games as a Buckeye before a lower-leg injury forced him to miss his final two collegiate games.
Much like Knox, VanSickle will redshirt as a freshman and then likely play primarily special teams and as a backup as a redshirt freshman and sophomore. But he’ll look to follow in Knox’s footsteps by developing into a quality starter for the Buckeyes by the end of his collegiate career.
INDIANAPOLIS — There are so many questions an NFL team can pose to a top prospect and so many of them have to do with how he will handle the step up to the next level.
And how will he deal with waiting his turn?
These questions do not really apply to Carnell Tate.
Not after the gauntlet he had to pass through in college, trying to find his way and making incremental rises on a depth chart overflowing with talent at his position.
“The competition there, we’re all pushing to be the best receiver on the field that day and that practice,’’ Tate said Friday morning at the NFL Scouting Combine, “and typically, when you’re the best receiver at Ohio State, you’re the best receiver in the country.’’
True, that.
Tate figures to be in play for the Giants with the No. 5 pick in the NFL Draft.
He is widely considered the top receiver in this class — there are certainly Jordyn Tyson supporters out there — and where the Giants prioritize aiding their offense with bolstering their defense will go a long way in determining if they select a wide receiver with their top pick for the second time in three years.
Where they are situated, one or both Ohio State studs, safety Caleb Downs or linebacker Sonny Styles, should be on the board — another Ohio State defender, edge rusher Arvell Reese, could go to the Jets at No. 2.
The Giants unquestionably need another prime target for Jaxson Dart but, when healthy, they already have a No. 1 receiver in Malik Nabers, who was the No. 6 overall pick in 2024.
Investing so much draft equity in another one might not be the most balanced way to build the team in John Harbaugh’s first year as the head coach.
Or, it might be just the ticket to launch the offense.
“You’re always going to want to add more explosiveness to your offense, guys that score touchdowns, wherever that comes from: running back, receiver, tight ends, whatever it may be,’’ general manager Joe Schoen said. “That will be something we’ll look for.’’
There should not be much, or any, concern that Tate will not be a supportive and obliging running mate for Nabers, who made it into only four games last season before a devastating knee injury — he tore his right ACL and meniscus — left Dart without his only lethal weapon.
Tate is not one of those youngsters accustomed to being the top guy during his college experience.
Tate arrived as a five-star recruit in 2023 but how the heck was he supposed to break into the starting lineup with Marvin Harrison Jr. and Emeka Egbuka — both future first round picks — ahead of him?
In 2024, Tate was overshadowed by freshman phenom Jeremiah Smith.
Tate had to wait for his opportunities and while he did, he concentrated on becoming a better all-around player, developing his ability as a blocker on the perimeter.
In three seasons, Tate totaled 121 receptions for 1,872 yards.
He notched nine of his 14 touchdowns during the 2025 season.
Tate is often likened to Chris Olave, another former Buckeyes wideout.
Olave was a 2022 first-round pick of the Saints and has surpassed 1,000 receiving yards in three of his four NFL seasons.
Jaxon Smith-Njigba (Seahawks) and Garrett Wilson (Jets) are also former Ohio State receivers tearing it up in the NFL.
“It means a lot to me and it’s also a lot on your shoulders,’’ Tate said of the legacy. “Now you got to be the next one to come out there and put on for the school and carry the Receiver U.’’
Tate lining up on one side and Nabers — who is expected to be fully recovered in the spring or by training camp — lining up on the other side would be quite a combination for Dart.
“It would be great,’’ said Tate, who this week had a formal meeting with the Giants. “It would be a great opportunity, especially playing in New York. Big showcase. I’d love to go out there and play in New York.’’
Wan’Dale Robinson, mostly a slot receiver, is an impending free agent.
If he does not return, it would drain the passing game of the 92 receptions for 1,014 yards he contributed in 2025.
Veteran Darius Slayton is coming off a poor seventh year with the Giants.
At 6-foot-3, Tate has ideal height and he is lean at 195 pounds.
He will run the 40-yard dash in Indy but otherwise wait for his Pro Day to work out for NFL executives, coaches and scouts.
Without sounding boastful, Tate does not lack confidence.
“I think my game brings it all to the table,’’ he said. “I got the contested catch, I got the route-running and I also bring it in the run game, a lot of receivers don’t do that. I’m able to impact the game with or without the ball in my hands.
“If you want a game-changer, you got one right here.’’
The best wide receiver in this draft class?
“Me, no question,’’ Tate said.
“Whatever you need to do, I got it.’’
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Bloomberg – Quicktake
A wind-swept blaze at an Ohio hog farm complex caused “catastrophic” damage and left thousands of pigs dead, fire officials said, marking another devastating barn inferno contributing to the deaths of millions of animals in recent years.
The massive fire occurred on Wednesday, Feb. 25, at Fine Oak Farms in Union Township, Madison County, located west of Ohio’s capital of Columbus, according to the Central Townships Joint Fire District. Fire crews received a report of a barn fire shortly before 12 p.m. local time.
The incident was later upgraded to a commercial structure fire after Chief Brian Bennington observed a “large column of smoke visible from a distance” and requested additional resources. Multiple local fire departments, along with several other emergency agencies, were called to the scene.
“What our crews encountered upon arrival was a very difficult and heartbreaking incident,” Bennington said in a statement on Feb. 26.
The fire chief described the facility as a large farm complex used for hog production consisting of five large agricultural buildings, including four that housed about 7,500 hogs. When crews arrived at the scene, they found two of the barns engulfed in flames, Bennington said.
Crews were challenged by windy conditions that significantly impacted fire suppression efforts, according to Bennington. Three barns were destroyed in the fire, and about 6,000 hogs and pigs were killed.
Firefighters saved one barn and about 1,500 hogs, the fire chief added. No injuries were reported in the incident.
Bennington highlighted the assistance of the farming community throughout Madison and Clark counties, as multiple farmers responded with water trucks to help with water supply efforts. “Rural Ohio’s agricultural community is tight-knit, and they truly step up when one of their own is in need,” he said.
The incident remains under investigation, and the Ohio State Fire Marshal’s Office will determine the fire’s cause and origin. Bennington said there is no suspicion of arson and no ongoing threat to the public at this time.
‘Rapidly changing fire behavior conditions’
Heavy smoke from the fire could be seen for miles, and Bennington said first-arriving units were met with fire conditions coming from the opposite side of the hog farm complex.
The fire chief noted that the incident required extensive water-shuttle operations due to rural water-supply limitations in the area. Crews attempted to cut the fire off by deploying multiple handlines and using an aerial device, but “faced extremely challenging conditions throughout the incident,” according to Bennington.
Sustained winds of about 20 mph with gusts up to 35 mph accelerated the fire’s spread, Bennington said. The high winds made it “extremely difficult” to contain forward fire progression and created “rapidly changing fire behavior conditions” across the agricultural complex, he added.
After about four to five hours, the fire was contained by fire personnel from four different counties, according to the fire chief.
“Unfortunately, the fire resulted in catastrophic damage to the business,” Bennington said in an earlier statement on Feb. 25. “A significant portion of the agricultural structures were destroyed.”
Latest major fire to impact an Ohio hog farm
The incident at Fine Oak Farms is the latest major fire to cause significant damage to an Ohio hog farm in recent years.
In August 2024, about 1,100 pigs were killed in Versailles, a village about 50 miles northwest of Dayton, Ohio, according to data from the nonprofit Animal Welfare Institute. In March 2022, about 2,000 hogs died in a barn fire at Kenneth Scholl Hog Farm in Brown Township, just west of Columbus.
Before the fire at Fine Oak Farms, the Animal Welfare Institute reported that other barn fires in Ohio this year killed 162 sheep, horses, cows, chickens, and other animals.
Hundreds of thousands of animals killed in barn fires each year
Data from the Animal Welfare Institute shows that hundreds of thousands of animals are killed in barn fires across the country each year. Since 2013, over 9 million farm animals have been killed in barn fires, according to the organization.
As of Feb. 26, the Animal Welfare Institute reported that 118,738 farm animals have died in U.S. barn fires this year, including the incident at Fine Oak Farms. The majority of farm animals killed were chickens in separate incidents in North Carolina and Georgia in January, and another incident in Missouri earlier this month.
“Most fatal barn fires occurred in colder states, particularly the Upper Midwest and the Northeast. New York, Wisconsin, Pennsylvania, Ohio, and Illinois had the highest number of barn fires, respectively,” according to the organization. “The amount of cold weather a state experienced appeared to be a greater factor in the prevalence of barn fires than the intensity of a state’s animal agriculture production.”
In an updated report on farm animal deaths due to barn fires in 2025, the Animal Welfare Institute said more than 2.53 million farm animals were killed in barn fires from 2022 to 2024. The organization noted that the high death toll was “driven primarily” by fires at large operations that housed several thousand to over 1 million farm animals.
The majority of deaths in these incidents during that period, over 98%, were farmed birds, such as chickens and turkeys, according to the Animal Welfare Institute. But in 2023, a massive fire at a west Texas dairy farm became the single deadliest event involving livestock in the state’s history and the deadliest cattle fire in America in at least a decade.
18,000 head of cattle perished in the fire at the South Fork Dairy farm near Dimmitt, Texas. At the time, Roger Malone, who is the former mayor of Dimmitt, called the incident “mind-boggling.”
“I don’t think it’s ever happened before around here. It’s a real tragedy,” Malone said.
Contributing: Rick Jervis, USA TODAY; Shahid Meighan, Columbus Dispatch
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