Vols tight end Ethan Davis can help Tennessee land 5-star RB David Gabriel Georges, but only if he’s willing to make a big sacrifice
2027 five-star running back David Gabriel Georges, one of the Tennessee Volunteers’ top recruiting targets, arrived in Knoxville on Thursday night for his official visit on Rocky Top.
It’s a huge weekend for the Tennessee Vols.
2027 five-star running back David Gabriel Georges arrived in Knoxville on Thursday evening for his official visit to Tennessee, which is set to begin on Friday.
Gabriel Georges, a native of Canada who attends Baylor School in Chattanooga, is Tennessee’s top recruiting target.
The five-star running back is rated as the No. 10 overall player in the 2027 recruiting class.
Ohio State, which hosted Gabriel Georges on an official visit last weekend (which reportedly went well), is the Vols’ top competition for the coveted recruit.
Vols redshirt junior tight end Ethan Davis can help Tennessee land David Gabriel Georges
While Ohio State feels confident after hosting Gabriel Georges last weekend, the feeling is that the five-star recruit hasn’t made a decision yet.
“I do not believe DGG has decided one way or the other,” said VolQuest’s Austin Price earlier this week on 104.5 The Zone’s Ramon and Will. “I don’t believe he’ll have decided when he leaves [Tennessee] this weekend. He may have a feeling, but I think he’s going to take the next several weeks and work toward trying to figure out what he wants to do. Again, Tennessee feels good entering the weekend.”
The Vols are hoping to flip the momentum this weekend.
One way they can do that is by telling Gabriel Georges that he can wear No. 0 — the number he wears in high school — as a true freshman.
According to Rivals.com’s Chad Simmons, it’s a topic that’s been discussed.
“The atmosphere, development plan, NIL opportunities and path to becoming the face of the program will all be part of the conversation,” noted Simmons this week. “Even wearing the No. 0 out of the gates has been a topic. Josh Heupel and the Vols are ready to go all in, plus some, this weekend, for DGG.”
The only problem is that Vols redshirt junior tight end Ethan Davis, a player who has been very loyal to Tennessee, currently wears the number. And since Davis also plays on offense, it can’t be issued to another offensive player.
In a perfect world, Davis, who wore No. 86 as a true freshman before switching, has a huge season this fall and has no choice but to declare for the 2027 NFL Draft. Davis is talented enough to make that happen.
But Tennessee can’t bank on that happening. If they want to promise No. 0 to Gabriel Georges, then Davis has to be on board. It’s understandable if Davis doesn’t want to give the number up — I don’t think he should be pressured into giving it up. But if it’s something he doesn’t see as a big deal, then it could go a long way in helping the Vols land Gabriel Georges.
I don’t think the number thing will be the deciding factor in this battle, but it would be another feather in the cap for the Vols as they fight to secure a commitment from the potential superstar running back.
Gabriel Georges, by the way, is currently planning to announce his commitment on July 22.