Not many Tennessee commits are giving Vols fans this kind of daily lift, but David Gabriel Georges keeps finding ways to do it. He already gave people something to talk about when he ripped off a 54-yard score in his season-opening scrimmage, and now he’s back in the spotlight for a very different reason: the weight room.
A video of Georges moving serious iron has started making the rounds, and the numbers are eye-opening. According to the clip shared by Rivals High School on August 13, 2026, the Tennessee Five-Star Plus+ RB commit is hitting a 725-pound trap bar lift, a 600-pound back squat, a 375-pound bench press, and a 315-pound power clean.
It’s the kind of display that makes it easy to see why Georges already looks like he belongs at the next level, even as he gets ready for his senior year of high school. He’s built like a future problem for SEC defenses, and the buzz around him only gets louder.
That buzz also lands in the middle of Tennessee’s lingering frustration over missing on five-star running back Savion Hiter. Hiter, a 2026 class back, came down to Tennessee and Michigan late in his recruitment, with the Vols pushing hard to bring him to Knoxville before the Wolverines won out. Since then, Hiter has looked sensational in Michigan fall camp, which is enough to sting for Tennessee fans.
Still, the Vols have reason to feel good about where the room stands. DeSean Bishop is expected to be one of the SEC’s top running backs next season, and another 1,000-yard year is on the table for him. He’s Tennessee’s No. 1 back for 2026, and he still has more eligibility if he wants to come back after that.
Georges is the bigger long-term answer. Tennessee battled Ohio State hardest for the ’27 pledge, and the Vols got major help when it was reported that Georges agreed to a three-year NIL deal worth around $6 million. He also recently said his recruitment is 100 percent shut down, and nothing will stop him from making things official with Tennessee once the Early Signing Period arrives.
So the path is pretty clear. Bishop should carry the load in 2026, and if he heads to the NFL after that season, Georges could be next in line as early as next fall. The best-case scenario for Tennessee is even more dangerous: Bishop and Georges teaming up as a true one-two punch.
Either way, the Vols appear set at running back for the long haul, and Georges has the kind of standout profile that makes it easy to forget about what Tennessee missed elsewhere.
In Other News...
Tennessees QB Battle Just Took A Turn Fans Needed To See
Tennessees quarterback competition remains one of the biggest storylines hanging over the run-up to the season opener against Furman, with five-star freshmen Faizon Brandon and George McIntyre still battling for the job. Josh Heupel came away encouraged by both quarterbacks development after a recent scrimmage, but the staff has not yet settled on a starter, keeping the Volunteers most watched position group in a holding pattern for now.
The intrigue only grew after the scrimmage, when an insider in attendance suggested Brandon had the momentum in the race. Even so, Tennessee has not made anything official, and with an opener approaching, the Vols are still waiting for the final call on who will take the first snap. [Read more 🡒]
Heupels First Scrimmage Put Tennessees Biggest Camp Questions In Focus
Josh Heupel stepped to the microphone after Tennessees first fall camp scrimmage with the kind of questions that naturally define August in Knoxville. The Vols are in the middle of a broad defensive reset under new coordinator Jim Knowles, and the change brings a new staff, new transfer pieces and a new standard for how quickly the unit can come together. On the other side of the ball, the biggest camp conversation remains centered on a quarterback battle that is still sorting itself out.
For Tennessee, the scrimmage offered an early checkpoint more than any final answer, and Heupel spent his time pointing toward the areas that will keep drawing attention as camp unfolds. The defense has to learn fast under Knowles, while the offense waits for clarity at quarterback, giving the Vols a pair of high-stakes issues to monitor through the rest of the month. Rocky Top Insider will continue tracking both stories as fall camp moves on. [Read more 🡒]
Faizon Brandon Is Making Tennessees Quarterback Battle A Real Debate
Quarterback battles can linger through camp, but Tennessees has turned into one of the more intriguing ones in the SEC. Freshman Faizon Brandon and George MacIntyre are both in the mix, giving the Volunteers a genuine decision to make as they sort out who gives the offense the best chance to open the season. Brandon has already flashed enough in practice to keep the conversation alive, which is exactly what a staff wants from a young quarterback even if it complicates the depth chart.
The wider quarterback picture around the league only adds to the attention on this race, with Alabama and Vanderbilt also sorting through their own competitions among highly ranked recruits. Tennessee has not made a choice yet, and the longer that goes on, the more every practice rep matters for Brandon and MacIntyre alike. For now, the battle remains unresolved, which is part of what makes it worth watching as camp moves forward. [Read more 🡒]