There’s an uncomfortable truth Ohio State fans don’t want to say out loud about David Gabriel Georges, and Tennessee knows it
2027 five-star running back David Gabriel Georges is taking his official visit to Tennessee this weekend. The Volunteers are going head-to-head against Ohio State in the recruiting battle for the elite recruit.
Several national recruiting analysts in recent weeks have predicted that the Ohio State Buckeyes will beat out the Tennessee Vols for 2027 five-star running back David Gabriel Georges.
And plenty of Ohio State fans are confident those predictions will be correct.
They may end up being right — no one knows at this point where Gabriel Georges will land — but the main reason for their confidence is completely misguided.
David Gabriel Georges doesn’t need Ohio State the way fans and national analysts think he does
It’s believed that Gabriel Georges will take a couple of weeks after wrapping up his official visits to make his decision before committing on July 22.
“I do not believe DGG has decided one way or the other,” said VolQuest’s Austin Price earlier this week. “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.”
Because no decision has been made, any predictions you see for Gabriel Georges right now are nothing more than a guess.
So what’s the reason for the predictions?
On3’s Steve Wiltfong said last month that he’s predicting Ohio State will land the five-star running back in part because of the way the Buckeyes have “developed and showcased running backs.”
“I’m still riding with my prediction in favor of Ohio State for Chattanooga (Tenn.) Baylor School five-star running back David Gabriel Georges,” wrote Wiltfong. “With the way the Buckeyes have developed and showcased running backs, to the consistency of the program, to the competitive NIL opportunities, Ohio State checks the most boxes and is the best fit.”
Essentially, the predictions are being made for Ohio State because the Buckeyes have had so much success sending players to the NFL in this new era of college football.
There’s no denying that Ohio State’s been more successful than Tennessee in recent years when it comes to sending players to the NFL.
But here’s the uncomfortable truth that Buckeyes fans don’t want to admit: Gabriel Georges doesn’t need Ohio State to be a top 10 draft pick.
He doesn’t need Tennessee either.
Gabriel Georges is a generational type of prospect. He’s not a finished product, but he has the physical talent and the intangibles to be a Saquon Barkley-type of talent in college and in the NFL.
Gabriel Georges could play at Akron for three seasons and still be a top 10 selection in the NFL draft. It doesn’t matter where he goes to school — he’s destined for stardom in the NFL.
Ohio State and Tennessee need Gabriel Georges, he doesn’t need Ohio State or Tennessee.
So the big advantage that Ohio State fans think they have in this battle isn’t advantage at all. Sure, development is obviously important to Gabriel Georges, but this kid is damn near NFL ready right now.
This battle is going to come down to where Gabriel Georges feels the most at home. And again, that might be Ohio State, but there’s just as good of a chance that it’s Tennessee.
Ohio State fans don’t want to admit it, but this recruiting battle is a complete coin flip between the Buckeyes and the Vols.