Tennessee Football and head coach Josh Heupel are entrenched in a recruiting battle for one of the top prospects in the country. The Vols are one of four finalists for five-star running back David Gabriel Georges, alongside Ohio State, Georgia, and Ole Miss.
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.
And while Heupel and his staff have been making a big push to keep Gabriel Georges inside the state’s borders, the Ohio State staff looks to have made a bold move for the coveted prospect this week.
According to a report from Letterman Row’s Mick Walker, the Buckeyes’ entire offensive coaching staff went to Baylor School to pay Gabriel Georges a visit on Monday. This included offensive coordinator Arthur Smith, running backs coach Carlos Locklyn, co-OC/tight ends coach Keenan Bailey, and offensive line coach Tyler Bowen.
Gabriel Georges appears set to see the Buckeyes’ coaching staff again later this month. 247Sports’ recruiting timeline shows that the five-star running back has official visits lined up to see Ohio State on May 29, Tennessee on June 5, Ole Miss on June 12, and Georgia on June 19.
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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 wrote. “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 Friday, 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 88.6% chance in the race for Gabriel Georges, but we’ll know more as he goes on his official visits this spring. Recruiting predictions can quickly change depending on how things unfold in real time.
Tennessee currently has seven commitments in the 2027 cycle, which ranks 23rd in Rivals’ 2027 team rankings. The Vols’ class features four-star WR Kesean Bowman, four-star OT Princeton Uwaifo, three-star DL Kadin Fife, three-star safety Jaden Butler, three-star linebacker J.P. Peace, three-star quarterback Derrick Baker, and three-star CB Carter Jamison.
Stay tuned to Rocky Top Insider for more Tennessee Football recruiting news.
