Former Ohio State coach now at Michigan looks to have trolled the Buckeyes after they lost out on David Gabriel Georges to Tennessee
Ohio State missed out on its top target at the running back position. Now, it looks like a former Buckeyes assistant coach is poking at Ohio State.
Ohio State football recruiting took a significant hit Wednesday evening when 5-star running back David Gabriel Georges committed to the Tennessee Volunteers over the Buckeyes. The loss stings for multiple reasons, and a former Ohio State assistant now coaching at Michigan may have twisted the knife.
Gabriel Georges, the Baylor School (TN) product Ohio State had targeted as the top running back in the 2027 class, chose the Volunteers after a long recruitment that saw the Buckeyes invest heavily. Ohio State’s coaching staff went all in on Gabriel Georges across two recruiting cycles, passing on talented running back prospects in the 2026 and 2027 classes because they believed he was the premier back available.
Now the Buckeyes are back to the drawing board at the position.
Former Buckeyes coach stirs the pot from Ann Arbor
The recruiting loss on its own would have been enough to frustrate Ohio State’s fan base. Then a former Buckeyes assistant now at Michigan looked to have chimed in.
Former Ohio State running backs coach Tony Alford, now coaching running backs at Michigan, posted to X shortly after Gabriel Georges’ commitment to Tennessee. The exact intent of Alford’s post remains unclear, but Ohio State fans interpreted it as a direct shot at their program. The replies to Alford’s post filled quickly with angry Buckeyes supporters who did not take kindly to what they viewed as trolling from a former member of the staff.
Alford spent nearly a decade at Ohio State, coaching in Columbus from 2015 through 2023. During that stretch, he worked with standout backs like J.K. Dobbins. His decision to leave Ohio State for Michigan in 2024 already made him a controversial figure among Buckeyes fans, and the Akron, Ohio, native has remained a sore subject since.
At Michigan, Alford is now coaching Savion Hiter, a former Ohio State target who could grow into a significant role with the Wolverines as early as this season. That connection only adds to the frustration for a fan base watching a former coach at a rival program.
What’s next for Ohio State at running back?
The Gabriel Georges miss leaves a real hole in Ohio State’s 2027 recruiting strategy. The Buckeyes had put their eggs in one basket at the running back position, banking on landing the five-star prospect rather than casting a wider net in previous classes. That gamble did not pay off, and Ohio State’s staff now has to pivot.
Whether Alford knew exactly what reaction his post would generate is debatable, but the timing and context suggest he understood the moment. Ohio State fans were already stinging from the loss of their top target, and Alford’s post poured salt in the wound.
The coming weeks will tell how quickly Ohio State can identify and pursue alternative running back targets in the 2027 class. The Buckeyes still have a strong foundation with commitments from five-star EDGE D.J. Jacobs, five-star wide receiver Jamier Brown, four-star offensive lineman Kellen Wymer, and four-star linebacker Quinton Cypher. Still, losing Gabriel Georges leaves a gap that won’t be easy to fill.