College commitments are all the buzz around Olentangy High School, with academic and athletic commitments. These decisions come with big changes and stress. On Tuesday, Dec. 4, senior athlete Kaden Gebhardt flipped his commitment from Clemson University to The Ohio State University. This decision sparked talk throughout the Olentangy community.

Gebhardt, a 4-star commit, became Ohio State’s 26th member to join the class of 2026 commits. He will also play alongside teammate CJ Sanna, who committed earlier in 2025. Gebhardt plays as a defensive safety on the ‘Tangy football team.

“I decided to flip my commitment from Clemson University to The Ohio State University because after thinking deeply about what truly matters to me, I realized that staying close to home is something I can not put a price on,” Gebhardt said, “Clemson is an amazing place with incredible opportunities but being far away from my family did not feel right in my heart.“

In his junior year, Gebhardt committed to Clemson in early March and helped lead the OHS baseball team to win the OHSAA Division 1 Championship. He also racked up an impressive 94 tackles, 5 pass break-ups and two interceptions in his junior football season. Gebhardt earned All-OCC honors all four years and also received OCC Defensive Player of the Year for his junior and senior seasons.

“Kaden is an extremely hard worker both on and off the field. He always wants to be the best at everything he does. He is also a competitor and wants to compete on the field every play.” Olentangy football head coach, Wade Bartholomew said. “Kade is just a great leader and person. He made a huge impact on our team in the leadership role he was given from his sophomore year. We will miss him.”

Gebhardt received offers from OSU, Clemson, The University of Akron, Auburn University, University of Cincinnati, University of Colorado Boulder and other universities throughout the country as well.

“Choosing Ohio State allows me to chase my dreams while still being surrounded by the people who helped me build them in the first place,” Gebhardt said.

Outside of athletics, Gebhardt loves his friends and family more than anything. They helped build him into the person he is today. He formerly played along side Ethan Grunkemeyer, Penn State quarterback whom he will go up against in the 2026 OSU football season.

“It means a lot to me to play beside people I have grown up with like CJ Sanna. We have been playing together since 4th grade and have been good friends ever since. Just goes to show that hard work always pays off.” He said.

Switching to OSU was more than a football decision or an academic decision for Gebhardt, it was always about who he is and who he wants to be. To him it means keeping the people he loves most close as he takes his next steps in life.