Tennessee is making one last push in a recruiting battle that won’t be decided until July 22, when five-star running back David Gabriel Georges announces between the Vols, Ohio State and Ole Miss.
And one of Tennessee’s own is helping lead the sales pitch.
Current star back DeSean Bishop, speaking through a report from On3, pointed to the program’s track record at the position and the room Gabriel Georges would be walking into.
“We have a long history of elite running backs,” Bishop said. “You go into that running back room we have; I don’t think anybody can touch it in the SEC. But shout out to him.”
Gabriel Georges said just over a week ago that he was still undecided as his commitment neared, though the latest read on the race suggests the choice may come down to Tennessee and Ohio State. The Vols are getting the kind of late-stage recruiting pressure that comes with a prospect this highly regarded.
Bishop’s pitch carries some weight because he just finished a breakout season as Tennessee’s featured back. In his first year in that role, he ran for 1,076 yards and 16 touchdowns on 182 carries across 13 games. That kept Tennessee’s streak alive: the Vols have now produced a 1,000-yard rusher in three straight seasons, with Dylan Sampson and Jaylen Wright doing it before heading to the NFL Draft.
Gabriel Georges brings a massive profile of his own. According to 247 Composite, he is the No. 10 player in the class, the No. 2 running back and the top player from Tennessee. Originally from Quebec, he now lives in Chattanooga and plays for Baylor School.
Even after he makes his decision, this one may not be finished. In battles like this, the school that comes up short usually keeps swinging all the way to signing day, hoping to pull off a flip.
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Georges is set to decide on July 22, while Barnes will announce on July 29, and Tennessee is trying to land at least one of the two to strengthen both its local footprint and its national standing. However those calls go, the ripple effect could be significant for the Vols place in the 2027 class picture, since the difference between landing neither back, one of them, or both could change how the group stacks up in the SEC and across the country. [Read more 🡒]