We're just days away from David Gabriel Georges announcing where he will play college football. On3's Pete Nakos has called his shot on who the elite running back recruit will choose between Ohio State and Tennessee.
The Ohio State Buckeyes
are staring down the biggest recruiting day left on their 2027 calendar. Five-star running back David Gabriel Georges will announce his commitment on Wednesday
, July 22, and the Buckeyes are in a dead heat with the Tennessee Volunteers to land him. Ohio State has invested all of its running back recruiting efforts for this cycle into Gabriel Georges, and a miss here would force the program into contingency planning during a critical stretch.
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Pete Nakos' prediction favors Tennessee
Ahead of Wednesday's decision, On3 insider Pete Nakos placed a prediction for Gabriel Georges to commit to Tennessee. Nakos is one of the top insiders in college sports, and his lean toward the Volunteers carries weight. Ole Miss remains a third-place contender, but this recruitment is widely viewed as a two-team race between Ohio State and Tennessee.
The gap between the two programs doesn't appear to be about football. Ohio State has more to offer in terms of program success and NFL development. The divide, instead, likely sits on the financial front
. Tennessee is willing to go significantly higher than Ohio State for a player who has never taken a college snap. The deal from Tennessee could exceed $2 million per year over three years, while Ohio State's offer sits just above $1 million annually over the same period.
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For a talent like Gabriel Georges, who projects as a three-year college player before heading to the NFL regardless of where he lands, the financial calculus is straightforward. Maximizing earnings during college makes sense in the current landscape, and that appears to be the direction Gabriel Georges is leaning. It's hard to blame him. That's the world of college football now.
Ohio State's relationship card may not be enough
There's still belief on the Ohio State side that Gabriel Georges will choose the Buckeyes on Wednesday. Running backs coach Carlos Locklyn has built the strongest coaching relationship with Gabriel Georges of anyone in this recruitment, and that connection has been a cornerstone of the program's pitch.
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Still, relationships can only carry a recruitment so far when the financial gap is this wide. Ohio State missed on Savion Hiter last cycle and turned up the heat on Gabriel Georges as a result. The Buckeyes have known for a couple of years that this was their primary running back target, and that long-term investment is precisely why a loss on Wednesday would sting.
What happens if Ohio State misses?
If Gabriel Georges picks Tennessee, Ohio State would need to pivot quickly. The Buckeyes could attempt to flip another running back already committed in this class, or they could lean heavily on the transfer portal next year to supplement the room around Bo Jackson and Isaiah West. Neither option is ideal compared to landing a top-tier high school talent at the position.
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Wednesday will go a long way toward shaping the finish to Ohio State's 2027 recruiting class. The Buckeyes have put all of their chips on the table for Gabriel Georges, and now they wait.
This article was originally published on A to Z Sports. Read the full story here: Top insider has predicted where 5-star David Gabriel Georges will commit to between Ohio State and Tennessee
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