David Gabriel Georges has been named the 247Sports Preseason Player of the Year in Tennessee as high school football heads into the 2026 season, and the Baylor School senior is already looking every bit like the kind of back who can justify the billing.
The 6-foot, 210-pound runner from Chattanooga put together a massive junior season in 2025, piling up 1,749 yards and 27 touchdowns on 161 carries across 10 games, according to MaxPreps. That production helped push him into the national spotlight, where he now sits as 247Sports’ No. 12 overall prospect and No. 2 running back.
Andrew Ivins, 247Sports’ director of scouting, didn’t soften the evaluation.
"I think the scouting report for DGG wrote itself during his Week 1 matchup that was broadcast on ESPN," said 247Sports director of scouting Andrew Ivins. "He's a violent finisher with rare juice, vision and balance at 225 pounds.
There's a reason the recruitment became what it did and that's because DGG can take over games. Teams can't tackle him."
The early signs this fall have matched the hype. In Baylor School’s season-opening win over Brentwood (Tenn.)
Academy, Gabriel Georges ran for 179 yards, added 65 receiving yards and scored three times on the ground. The night was filled with big plays, and he remained the focal point from start to finish.
There’s also the college decision already in the books. Gabriel Georges announced his Tennessee commitment on July 22 live on the CBS Sports College Football YouTube channel, choosing the Vols over Ohio State in a tight recruiting battle. He’ll head to Knoxville to play for Josh Heupel and serve as the headliner of Tennessee’s loaded class.
"He's just a joy to coach."
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Heupel Keeps Tennessees Arion Carter Frustration Front And Center
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Heupels frustration also sits against a larger backdrop that has made these cases harder to ignore. Other players, including Cleveland Browns rookie DaeQuan Wright, have gone back to college football after receiving much larger NFL bonuses, even as legal challenges continue over NCAA eligibility rules. For Tennessee, Carters case is a reminder that the line between amateurism and the modern player marketplace still feels inconsistent, and it is exactly the sort of inconsistency Heupel has kept front and center. [Read more 🡒]