2027 five-star running back David Gabriel Georges is obviously the Tennessee Vols’ top recruiting target.

But Gabriel Georges isn’t the only 2027 running back the Volunteers are hoping to land.

Vols insider shares update on Tennessee’s pursuit of three-star running back Asa Barnes

Tennessee is hoping to sign two running backs in the 2027 recruiting class.

The other running back the Vols are strongly pursuing is three-star Asa Barnes, 5-foot-11/200 pounds from Martin, TN.

Barnes, who took an official visit to Rocky Top last weekend, is rated in 247Sports’ composite rankings as the No. 36 running back in the nation and the No. 24 player in the state of Tennessee.

VolQuest’s Austin Price joined WNML’s Josh and Swain on Wednesday and shared the latest on Barnes’ recruitment.

“Tennessee wants to add a second [running] back,” said Price. “Not every school wants to add a second back — because they don’t have to. But I feel like Tennessee feels like they need to in this class. And Asa Barnes at Martin Westview makes a ton of sense.

“He’s a really talented back. He’s a bigger back that catches the ball well out of the backfield. The longer this one goes, the better Tennessee’s chances are. In other words, if this one lags into mid to late July, I like Tennessee’s chances. If this thing happens to end in the next handful of days, or a week from now, it’s probably Arkansas. But I think the longer it goes, the better Tennessee’s chances are of landing Asa Barnes.”

Price didn’t expound on why this recruitment dragging into mid to late July would be good for Tennessee, but my guess — and I’m just speculating here — is that the only way the Vols lose this recruiting battle is if a program like Arkansas offers Barnes an NIL deal he just can’t refuse.

Running backs have had a ridiculous amount of success under Heupel the last several years (three straight 1,000 yard-plus rushers), so I wouldn’t worry too much about the future of the running back position at Tennessee either way.