David Gabriel Georges is about to become the center of one of the biggest recruiting spending wars the sport has seen at running back.
Tennessee and Ohio State have gone all-in for the 5-star back, and the push has reportedly reached the point where the eventual deal should clear seven figures. Pete Nakos reported that Gabriel Georges is in line to become the highest paid running back prospect ever coming out of high school.
The Buckeyes have clearly made a major move of their own. Ohio State was spotted sending its entire offensive staff to Chattanooga for an in-person visit, and the program also extended an offer to Jordan Darren Djila, a high school teammate and childhood friend of Gabriel Georges, even though Djila does not have a rating from any major outlet.
Tennessee, meanwhile, has been linked to the strongest financial offer and has also been rumored to be pitching a starting job and the No. 0. In other words, both programs have emptied the clip, and a decision is coming soon.
Gabriel Georges, originally from Quebec, is playing his high school football in Chattanooga. According to 247Sports, he is the No. 12 player in the 2027 class, the top-ranked player in Tennessee, and a 5-11, 200-pound runner who has already become a familiar name around Knoxville after multiple visits over the last couple of years.
His official visit schedule wrapped up last month, with stops at Tennessee, Ohio State and Ole Miss. He had also been scheduled to visit Georgia before canceling that trip.
On the field, Gabriel Georges looks the part of a headliner. He’s described as a human highlight reel at running back, with strong vision, the ability to break tackles, violent running style and enough burst to finish plays for big gains in the open field. That kind of skill set makes him a plug-and-play weapon for any offense.
The production backs up the reputation. As a junior at Baylor School, Gabriel Georges rushed for 1,726 yards and scored 27 rushing touchdowns in only 11 games.
Tennessee has not chased every elite recruit this cycle, choosing instead to focus on a smaller group of targets. Gabriel Georges has clearly been the centerpiece of that approach. The Volunteers sit 40th nationally with 16 commitments, with a money-focused shift expected later in the transfer portal.
As for where this ends up, the read depends on who you ask, and maybe even when you ask. Gabriel Georges is set to announce his decision on July 22, and both Tennessee and Ohio State appear to believe they have a real shot.
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Tennessees defensive makeover picked up another layer this week with the addition of Josh Sinagoga to the staff as a defensive analyst, a notable shift for a coach whose recent background has leaned to the offensive side. Sinagoga arrives after stops at Michigan, Youngstown State, Central Michigan, Iowa and Cincinnati, bringing a varied rsum into a reset that has already featured several new defensive hires this offseason.
The move fits the broader urgency around a defense that struggled badly in 2025, when the Volunteers were forced to rethink much of that side of the ball and move on from Tim Banks and some staff members. Tennessee has been aggressive in reshaping the room ever since, and Sinagogas arrival suggests the staff is still looking for every edge it can find while the full blueprint for the new defense continues to take shape. [Read more 🡒]
Tennessee Just Took A Painful Recruiting Hit Where It Hurts Most
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