The Ohio State Buckeyes suffered a significant recruiting loss when 5-star running back David Gabriel Georges committed to Tennessee over Columbus. Ohio State put all of its 2027 running back recruiting focus on Gabriel Georges, and now the Buckeyes are back to square one searching for a replacement after years of building a relationship with the elite prospect from Canada.

The difference came down in part to money and what each program was willing to offer, amongst other things such as a jersey number. 

Tennessee’s offer dwarfed what Ohio State put on the table

Ohio State put a competitive multi-year offer together for Gabriel Georges, somewhere around $1 million per year, according to multiple reports. Tennessee went significantly further, putting an offer on the table worth north of $2 million annually. That figure may or may not combine with Adidas money being thrown into the deal. There are also unverified rumors that Tennessee offered Gabriel Georges’ family private jet access to travel from Canada to Knoxville and back for games.

Ohio State was never going to match those terms, and the reasoning is straightforward. The Buckeyes have running back Bo Jackson coming off a 1,000-yard season as a freshman. Paying Gabriel Georges roughly double what Jackson makes would create a culture problem in the locker room. Ohio State already had to give Jackson a pay bump following last season. Offering an incoming recruit that kind of premium over a proven producer would undermine the roster dynamics Ryan Day has built.

Tennessee and Ohio State are in very different positions

Tennessee is in a different situation. Gabriel Georges walks into Knoxville as the clear No. 1 starting running back for the Vols. Tennessee under coach Josh Heupel is trying to build a roster that can compete at the top of college football, and the program is spending aggressively to get there. Gabriel Georges is the type of player Tennessee hopes can push it over the hump and into legitimate College Football Playoff contention.

This mirrors what happened in the David Sanders recruitment, where Ohio State was outbid by a significant margin. Tennessee is moving in a hurry to close the gap on programs like Ohio State, but the two are in very different places right now. Ohio State beat Tennessee 42-17 in the College Football Playoff two years ago, and the gap may have widened since then. Tennessee could be starting a freshman quarterback in 2026.

Ohio State doesn’t act out of desperation with recruits. The Buckeyes were aggressive to the extent they were comfortable, but they were never going to extend the additional perks Tennessee did. If Ohio State had matched Tennessee’s full offer, there’s a legitimate chance Gabriel Georges commits to play in Columbus. The coaching staff made the decision that going that far wasn’t worth the consequences it would create within the current roster.

The Buckeyes need to find their next running back target

Losing Gabriel Georges stings. There’s no way around that. Ohio State invested years of recruiting effort into the 5-star back and came up short. The Buckeyes now need to identify and pursue a new top running back target in the 2027 class after putting so much of their focus on one prospect.

Still, Ohio State has a roster full of elite talent that Tennessee can’t match right now. The Buckeyes have Jackson returning as a proven commodity in the backfield and a program that continues to recruit at the highest level across every position group. The loss on the recruiting trail is real, but Ohio State will be fine. The next target will emerge, and the Buckeyes will get back to work.