Tennessee Football and head coach Josh Heupel are working hard to keep five-star running back and elite 2027 prospect David Gabriel Georges in the Volunteer State as his commitment date approaches. But the Vols are having to battle against some of the top programs in the country in order to do so.
Perhaps the biggest challenger to Tennessee’s goal is Ohio State, as the Buckeyes have been reportedly looked at as the favorites in Gabriel Georges’ recruitment. Ohio State hosted DGG for an official visit over the weekend and seemed to have made a strong impression.
Coming out of the visit, On3 Insider Alex Gleitman recorded a prediction for Ohio State to land the five-star prospect at 65% confidence. This is the second prediction that On3 has given Gabriel Georges to Ohio State, following Steve Wiltfong’s 60% prediction back in mid-April. No other team has a prediction at this time.
With an approaching commitment date of June 22 on the horizon, Gabriel Georges still has three official visits planned in the coming days. He’ll reportedly visit Tennessee on June 5, Ole Miss on June 12, and Georgia on June 19.
The standout prospect from Baylor School in Chattanooga, TN, is ranked as Rivals’ 13th-best overall player in the 2027 class, the No. 2 running back in the cycle, and the No. 1 player from the Volunteer State.
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“Hard-driving running back with the quickness and power to emerge as the centerpiece of an offense for a College Football Playoff contender,” 247 director of scouting Andrew Ivins writes. “Already owns ready-to-play bulk as he tips the scales at just over 205 pounds and uses that weight to his advantage as he sheds tackles and bounces off contact. Quick out the chute with his acceleration as he picks a lane and motors forwards. Reads blocks well, but can change course in the snap of a finger and get out of trouble.”
Gabriel Georges is an incredibly talented prospect in the 2027 cycle and one that Tennessee hopes to keep in-state. He’s got the combination of size, speed, and power to be an elite running back in the SEC and a true difference-maker in whichever program he chooses.
Last month, Gabriel Georges posted a clip of himself running a 40-yard dash, which had a laser clock-in time at 4.38 seconds.
To put that number in perspective, it would’ve been tied for the 20th-best 40-yard dash time at the NFL Combine this past March. It would also have been the fourth-best time among running backs at the combine, trailing only Mike Washington’s 4.33, Jeremiyah Love’s 4.36, and Demond Clairborne’s 4.37. The time is 0.11 seconds faster than Jadarian Price, who went as the final pick in the first round last weekend.
Rivals’ Recruiting Prediction Machine gives Ohio State an 92.9% chance in the race for Gabriel Georges, but we’ll know more as he goes on his official visits this spring.
Tennessee currently has nine commitments in the 2027 cycle, which ranks 30th in Rivals’ 2027 team rankings. The Vols’ class features four-star WR Kesean Bowman, four-star OT Princeton Uwaifo, four-star DL Kadin Fife, three-star safety Jaden Butler, three-star linebacker J.P. Peace, three-star quarterback Derrick Baker, three-star CB Slim Leavell, three-star CB Carter Jamison, and longsnapper Sam McKeown.
Stay tuned to Rocky Top Insider for more Tennessee Football recruiting news.
