2027 five-star running back David Gabriel Georges is one of the Tennessee Vols’ top recruiting targets.

Gabriel Georges, 6-foot/205 pounds from Chattanooga, TN (he’s originally from Canada), is rated in 247Sports’ composite rankings as the No. 2 running back in the nation and the No. 1 player in the state of Tennessee. He’s also rated as the No. 13 overall player in the 2027 recruiting class.

The coveted running back revealed his top eight schools to On3 this week and he included Tennessee, along with Alabama, Auburn, Georgia, Miami, Ohio State, Ole Miss, and Texas.

“The environment and the coaches really make me like Tennessee,” said Gabriel Georges to On3 of his interest in the Vols. “It’s a great school with great people. My mom, dad, aunt, and uncle saw it and they liked it a lot too. The coaches are the main thing for me — they’ve done a great job with me and my family.”

Vols insider gives the latest on Tennessee’s pursuit of David Gabriel Georges

While Gabriel Georges included eight teams among his top schools, it’s Tennessee and Ohio State that are viewed as the top two contenders in this recruiting battle.

VolQuest’s Austin Price joined 104.5 The Zone’s Ramon and Will on Tuesday and he discussed where Tennessee currently stands in Gabriel Georges’ recruitment.

“As good a position as you can be in at this point for a recruitment that is several months out from having a decision,” said Price of where the Vols stand for Gabriel Georges. “Tennessee and Ohio State — I know he lowered it to eight — but it’s really those top two teams. We’ll see if somebody else can get involved. It does not feel that way as of right now. It feels like those two teams are destined to battle it out until a decision is made sometime in the spring or summer.

“The question is when does he take official visits? There’s been a lot of chatter out there that he may take some official visits in the spring. If that’s the case, then that bumps up the decision compared to most kids. I think if you’re Tennessee, the big thing here is you don’t want to do the visit in the spring at Tennessee and then him wait until the summer (to take an official visit) at Ohio State. Northern schools are always going to push for summertime (visits). Now, this kid is from Canada, so a 45 degree visit in April in Columbus, versus a 75 to 80 degree visit in June, I just don’t think it matters — because he’s used to the cold. So at the end of the day, we’ll see how quickly he decides to take these official visits.”

David Gabriel Georges is on board with playing in a committee

Interestingly, Price also noted that Gabriel Georges is on board with playing as the lead running back in a committee.

Under Josh Heupel, the Vols typically use a running back by committee approach (though it’s a fluid approach).

“He’s an instant impact type player,” said Price. “He really is. And I will say this — he’s big on having someone to help share the load. He does not want to be a guy who carries it 30 times. He wants to be a guy who carries it 18 times and makes the 18 (carries) count. So, I think he wants other backs around him. He definitely wants to be the guy, he just wants to be the guy in moderation.

“If you get into the right kind of game, sure he’s gonna carry it 30 times and he isn’t going to complain. But I think he wants help around him. He doesn’t want it to be him every game, all game. And that’s kind of been Tennessee’s thought process. Except for the Dylan Sampson year, they’ve done a nice job of balancing and sharing carries.”

It can be tough to hold up over 13 to 15 games while carrying the entire load (Dylan Sampson broke down near the end of the 2024 season after carrying the load for the Vols), so that’s certainly a smart approach by Gabriel Georges.

As for this recruiting battle, well, there’s a long way to go. But Tennessee is pushing all of the right buttons so far.

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