Tennessee got its man in the 2026 class Wednesday night, landing five-star running back David Gabriel Georges after a long battle with Ohio State and Ole Miss.
The Vols had been chasing Gabriel Georges for years, and the race never really loosened up. In the end, Tennessee barely beat out the Buckeyes for a prospect who has been one of the most productive players in Tennessee high school football and a two-time Division II-AAA Mr. Football winner as both a sophomore and a junior.
The numbers explain why he drew that kind of attention. As a junior, Gabriel Georges piled up 1,749 rushing yards and 27 touchdowns on 161 carries, according to MaxPreps. His biggest night came in the state semifinals, when he torched rival McCallie for 431 yards and seven touchdowns in a 56-35 win.
That mattered even more because McCallie had won the previous two Division II-AAA state titles. Gabriel Georges then helped Baylor finish the job two weeks later, leading the way in a win over Brentwood Academy to secure the championship.
His sophomore season was quieter by comparison, but still well above the standard most backs ever reach. He ran for 1,013 yards and 14 touchdowns on 114 carries that year, and Baylor finished 12-1 with its only loss coming to McCallie in the state championship.
Across those two seasons, Gabriel Georges has totaled 2,762 rushing yards and 41 touchdowns on 275 carries. That works out to 10.04 yards per carry, a ridiculous number by any measure.
The recruiting services see him as one of the elite backs in the country. 247sports lists him as a five-star, the No. 12 player nationally, the No. 2 running back in the class, and the top prep player in Tennessee for 2026. Rivals is a little lower, but still has him as a five-star, the No. 23 player in the country, the No. 2 running back nationally, and the No. 1 player in Tennessee.
Whether he ends up as the best back in the class will play out over time, but the production is already there. Tennessee is betting he keeps doing exactly what he’s done all through high school once he gets to Knoxville.
In Other News...
Tennessees New Speed Standard Is Turning Heads Before Fall Camp
Tennessees offseason work has taken on a different feel under Derek Owings, the strength coach hired from Indiana to lead a program that has made speed a central point of emphasis. The Volunteers did not just add a new voice in the weight room, they invested heavily in it, bringing in the nations highest-paid strength coach and signaling that the standard in Knoxville is now about more than size and strength.
What has turned heads is how quickly the approach has shown up on the field. Tennessee has seen a major jump in the number of players reaching top-end speeds of 21-plus miles per hour, and the plan is to keep that edge from fading once camp and the season get rolling. The staff is using regular speed work and ongoing tracking to make sure the roster stays fast, which gives fall camp a different kind of urgency as the Vols try to turn that offseason gain into something lasting. [Read more 🡒]
Rick Barnes Addressed Growing Concern Around Key Tennessee Transfer
Tyler Lundblade arrived in Knoxville as part of Tennessees nine-player transfer class, bringing the kind of veteran presence Rick Barnes has leaned on in past roster overhauls. The Belmont graduate transfer has still found ways to stay connected to the group, remaining involved around practice and team leadership even as the staff works through his summer ramp-up.
Barnes has tried to calm any concern around the new addition by stressing that Tennessee is being careful with how it handles Lundblade. The Vols want him ready for the long haul, and the tone around the program suggests this is more about patience than alarm as summer work continues. [Read more 🡒]
Tennessee Looks Poised For Another In-State Recruiting Win
Tennessee has spent the summer working to keep another in-state prospect close to home, and Westview High School running back Asa Barnes looks like the next name to watch. The three-star back from Martin has been on campus multiple times, has been in contact with running backs coach DeRail Sims, and has had a Tennessee scholarship offer on the table for more than a year, all signs that the Volunteers have stayed firmly in the mix.
The momentum around Barnes has only grown as his decision approaches on July 29, with a couple of national recruiting voices already leaning heavily toward Tennessee to land him. For a program that has made a point of chasing top local talent, Barnes would fit the kind of in-state win the Vols have tried to stack up, even if the final word still has to come from the prospect himself. [Read more 🡒]