Ohio State took a hit on the recruiting trail Wednesday when five-star running back David Gabriel Georges chose Tennessee, but that didn’t stop former Buckeyes running backs coach Tony Alford from taking a shot at his old program.
Alford, now at Michigan, jumped on social media after the decision and posted, “@CoachMcCannJSG But I thought… ah, never mind!! 🤷🏿♂️”
The jab was aimed at Ohio State after Gabriel Georges went to the Vols, but it landed in a strange spot given everything that has unfolded since Alford left Columbus. Ohio State won the national championship right after he departed, then followed that up by beating TTUN soundly in Ann Arbor last season.
Alford has also pointed to having Justice Haynes for a time, though that situation ended with Haynes getting hurt and transferring to Georgia Tech. And his own recent history hasn’t exactly made him the best messenger: his head coach was fired after an illegal affair with a staffer, and that situation escalated into an arrest after he threatened her.
So yes, Alford took his swing. But Ohio State has already shown it can move on without him.
That’s the bigger point here. Carlos Locklyn has handled the running backs room well since taking over, helping TreVeyon Henderson and Quinshon Judkins both top 1,000 rushing yards in 2024 during a title run. Locklyn is in Columbus only because Alford left for Michigan in the middle of spring practice, and the Buckeyes haven’t exactly been suffering because of it.
They still have Bo Jackson, who crushed TTUN last season, and the program remains in position to keep rolling. Even with the loss of Gabriel Georges, Ohio State is still in a spot where it can chase its second national championship in three years.
The recruiting miss does sting. Ryan Day and his staff spent the better part of two years on Gabriel Georges and clearly made him a major priority. But the price Tennessee paid was too steep for Ohio State, and the Buckeyes are not walking away empty-handed in the bigger picture.
Gabriel Georges is headed to a program that hasn’t won a meaningful game in two decades, while Ohio State is still very much in the mix for another title. That’s how this decision will be judged.
If there’s a lesson for Day’s staff, it’s simple: don’t go all-in like this again and leave yourself exposed. Still, even after the loss and Alford’s trolling, Ohio State looks far better positioned than the people taking shots at it.
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