5-star RB David Gabriel Georges setting pace for record-breaking NIL deal

The biggest recruiting battle of Josh Heupel’s tenure may have come down to Tennessee and Ohio State for in-state running back David Gabriel Georges. Widely regarded as one of the top running back prospects to come out of high school in recent years, Gabriel Georges just so happens to play in Tennessee’s backyard, making this recruitment even more important for Heupel and the Vols.

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The leaders have switched back and forth over the last few months. Tennessee was viewed as the team to beat, then Ohio State appeared to move ahead of the Vols.
However, after his official visit to Knoxville in the middle of June, Tennessee may have regained the lead, or at the very least made it a race that is too close to call.

What could ultimately decide who lands Gabriel Geogres is who pays more in NIL money for his signature, which will be a lot of money.

Per On3's Pete Nakos, David Gabriel Georges is expected to be the highest-paid potential back in college football history. Out of high school, he's expected to make seven figures, which is astronomical. To put it in comparison, former Vols running back Jaylen Wright only makes $1,195,005 as a Miami Dolphins fourth-round draft pick. The recruit numbers have gone wild.

David Gabriel Georges is expected to land a $1 million NIL deal

Is this really a shock? Gabrel Geioges is just so electric with thre ball in his hands and has the perfect blend of speed, agility and power.

Tennessee has made some NIL mistakes in the past with Nico Iamaleava, Boo Carter, and Chaz Coleman just a couple of weeks ago, so it remains unclear how the Vols will approach this.
On one hand, Tennessee has worked hard to get involved in this space with David Gabriel Georges. On the other hand, can the Vols really afford another NIL setback?

Fans are already pretty disgruntled with Danny White and Josh Heupel over the Coleman situation, and if the David Gabriel-Georges recruitment were to take a similar turn, things could get ugly quickly.
That said, Tennessee does appear to have a good read on Gabriel-Georges, and he seems committed for the long haul, which could prevent the Vols from backing away.

If this doesn’t come down to a bidding war, things could get really interesting. Ohio State does have a lot of money, but they also have a tremendous group coming in under Ryan Day, along with another top-10 class. They already have a lot of money tied up in players, so the question is whether that could cause them to back off. Ohio State can pretty much get any talented player out of the transfer portal if they want, so their options aren't limited.

When the dust settles, this will go down as one of the biggest recruiting wins of the Heupel era. Tennessee has proven it can beat Ohio State in recruiting, and this will need to be another example. With a player like David Gabriel Georges, he could be worth every penny and then some.

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