MaxPreps’ latest Top High School Football Players list for the 2026 season puts two Tennessee-linked names near the top, with a five-star commit leading the way and another elite prospect sitting in the mix as a flip target.
At No. 1 is Tennessee running back commit David Gabriel Georges, the Vols’ top pledge in the 2027 cycle. Georges opened his weekend scrimmage against Buford High School with a bang, ripping his first carry for a long touchdown run off the edge. He didn’t see much action after that, but he looked comfortable as he continues preparing for Baylor School’s season.
MaxPreps’ ranking stands out even more when stacked against the other major services. Rivals and 247Sports both slot Gabriel Georges as the No. 2 running back in the country, while 247Sports’ Composite Rankings place him No. 11 overall and the top-ranked player in Tennessee.
His commitment to Tennessee came after a long recruitment and a late-July decision over Ohio State and Ole Miss. The move was described as a historic get for the Vols, and it’s easy to see why Tennessee pushed so hard: Gabriel Georges has the look of a future star.
The other Tennessee connection on the list is 2027 EDGE rusher D.J. Jacobs, who checks in at No.
- Jacobs is currently committed to Ohio State out of Blessed Trinity Catholic in Roswell, Georgia, but Tennessee has made a real run at flipping him.
Rivals’ Steve Wiltfong said on July 30 that Tennessee appears to be the “biggest threat” to pull Jacobs away from the Buckeyes.
“I certainly don’t think those rumors are coming out of thin air,” Wiltfong said. “I think that Tennessee is a program that has entered the mix for David ‘DJ’ Jacobs going into his senior year and look like the biggest threat to Ohio State. The family is saying most of the right things about the Buckeyes; the one thing that they’re not saying is that this recruitment is shut down.”
There are a couple of reasons Tennessee has gained traction. Jacobs is an Adidas NIL athlete, which lines up with Tennessee’s new partnership with the three-stripe brand announced in July. And there’s a personal connection too: Tennessee defensive line coach Rodney Garner coached Jacobs’ father, David Jacobs, at Georgia in the late 1990s and early 2000s.
247Sports’ Composite Rankings list Jacobs as the No. 3 player in the class and the No. 1 EDGE rusher in the cycle.
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