Five-star running back David Gabriel Georges is down to the final stretch, and the race for his commitment has turned into a tight two-team fight with Tennessee and Ohio State at the center of it.
Gabriel Georges, one of the top prospects in the country, will announce his college decision on July 22 at 5:30 p.m. ET. His final three schools are Tennessee, Ohio State and Ole Miss, but recruiting insiders have largely framed this as a battle between the Volunteers and the Buckeyes.
The 247Sports Composite ranks Gabriel Georges as the No. 10 player in the class of 2027, the No. 2 running back and the top prospect from Tennessee. He plays at Baylor School in Chattanooga, where he put together a huge junior season with 1,749 yards and 27 touchdowns.
The NIL piece is impossible to ignore here. On3’s Chris Low reported that Tennessee has the biggest package on the table, reportedly around $2 million per year for three years.
Ohio State’s offer, Low said, is around $1 million annually. Still, Gabriel Georges’ uncle, Jean Agenor, made clear that money is only part of the picture.
"We understand there is an opportunity for him to get ahead in life because of NIL and the opportunities he'll get, but that's not the main thing,” Agenor told Low. “That's never been the main thing.
We played the long game to benefit him so he can basically maximize his earning potential but that was just a good business strategy. We want him to get that second NFL contract."
Gabriel Georges also admitted in an interview with Low that he still hasn’t settled on a choice.
"It’s hard. You feel this way, like you know, and then it’s sort of 50-50," Gabriel Georges said. "People will say the 22nd of July is far off, but honestly for me, it’s pretty close."
Around the industry, the read is mixed but increasingly positive for Tennessee. Steve Wiltfong of On3 and Rivals said on July 14 that most of his sources are leaning toward the Vols, even though he has not changed his own prediction from Ohio State. Wiltfong pointed to Ohio State’s championship pedigree and NFL pipeline, while also noting that the Buckeyes offered a full scholarship to Gabriel Georges’ high school teammate and friend Jordan Darren Djila Tchuisseu, an unranked safety.
Tennessee, though, has its own selling points. Wiltfong said the Vols have the stronger NIL pitch and the chance for Gabriel Georges to step in right away.
“Again, the majority of sources feel like Tennessee is going to land David Gabriel Georges, but there are sources that believe he ultimately goes to Ohio State, and I think there’s confidence around both programs still with eight days to go," said Wiltfong.
Tom Loy of 247Sports added that there is "much more optimism coming from Tennessee than ever before." He said Ohio State had been viewed as an early favorite, helped by the relationship between Buckeyes running backs coach Carlos Locklyn and Gabriel Georges, but Tennessee has kept pushing and appears to be finishing hard.
Gabriel Georges’ decision will be streamed on the CBS Sports College Football YouTube channel.
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