Nike’s surprising decision in the David Gabriel Georges recruitment adds another layer to Tennessee’s battle with Ohio State
The Tennessee Volunteers and the Ohio State Buckeyes are locked into a head-to-head battle for 2027 five-star running back David Gabriel Georges.
The Tennessee Vols recently switched from Nike to Adidas and that decision is going to help the Big Orange in the recruiting battle for 2027 five-star running back David Gabriel Georges.
Tennessee is battling the Ohio State Buckeyes for Gabriel Georges’ commitment, and while NIL isn’t expected to be the driving factor in his decision, it will still obviously be a factor.
“We understand there is an opportunity for him to get ahead in life because of NIL and the opportunities he’ll get, but that’s not the main thing,” said Gabriel Georges’ uncle to Rivals earlier this month.
Gabriel Georges is expected to be the highest paid high school running back of all time regardless of where he lands (it’s been rumored that he could receive a deal worth $6 million over three years, but that’s not confirmed).
It’s believed that Tennessee currently has the top offer for the five-star running back.
According to Ohio State reporter Jeremy Birmingham, that’s in part because Adidas stepped up for Tennessee, and also because Nike refused to help the Buckeyes out.
“Adidas has sweetened the pot in a way that I just don’t know how [Ohio State can] combat it,” said Birmingham on 97.1 The Fan. “Ohio State reportedly — or I’ve been told — they asked Nike if they could get involved, and [Nike] said ‘We don’t get involved with high school athletes.’”
I don’t know if this means that Gabriel Georges is for sure going to choose Tennessee, but this information is certainly good news for the Vols. Having the best offer, plus the backing of Adidas, is obviously a positive for Tennessee.
But again, we don’t know how Gabriel Georges sees the situation. Only he knows what he’s thinking and what he wants. He may not go with the best offer — he may just go with his heart (and that could be either school).
Gabriel Georges is set to announce his commitment on July 22, so there will be a lot of speculation for the next two weeks.
But Nike’s decision not to get involved in arguably the biggest running back recruiting battle of all time is undoubtedly a good thing for Tennessee. Whether it seals the deal for the Vols, though, remains to be seen.