After Tennessee just won the David Gabriel Georges sweepstakes, bringing home another five-star player to bolster their offense's future, it didn't go without some drama from Ohio State fans, whom Tennessee beat out in the race for Gabriel Georges. Many Buckeyes fans claimed that he chose Knoxville solely for the money, arguing that the Vols could guarantee his pay while Ohio State couldn't.
Take a look at a few of the many Ohio State fans who were bombarding Gabriel Georges with comments.
This post wasn’t intended to come across the way it did. My point wasn’t that Ohio State couldn’t have landed David Gabriel Georges, or trashing Tennessee. From everything I’ve heard, Tennessee’s overall pitch simply made more sense for him and that goes beyond NIL. Fit,… https://t.co/3eMUDqvJte
— Owen Tyler (@OwenTCFB) July 23, 2026
Important to remember that David Gabriel Georges only picked Tennessee over Ohio State because of the money… but not because OSU is broke. They just care too much about their culture- a culture that noted good guy URBAN MEYER created- to act desperate…. Even though they offered…
— Jon Reed (@Jon__Reed) July 22, 2026
Ohio State chose their culture over a 5-star recruit pic.twitter.com/ajddJUAhxp
— Jon “JR” Rhoades (@jrs_rankings) July 23, 2026
Sure, it's not fair to paint the entire Ohio State fanbase as villains, as there were also many good comments congratulating Gabriel Georges. However, ultimately, the loud and echoing sentiment coming from Columbus is that Gabriel Georges only went to Tennessee because of the money and skipped out on Ohio State because they weren't willing to compensate him as well as the Vols did.
In light of all the comments after Gabriel Georges picked Tennessee, he had to put out a statement that shut down all the rumors coming from Buckeye fans.
"FIRST AND FOREMOST, I GIVE ALL GLORY TO GOD FOR HIS COUNTLESS BLESSINGS AND FOR FAITHFULLY GUIDING ME THROUGHOUT THIS JOURNEY. WITHOUT HIM, I WOULDN'T BE WHERE I AM TODAY.David Gabriel Georges
I ALSO WANT TO EXPRESS MY SINCERE GRATITUDE TO MY FAMILY, FRIENDS, COACHES, TEAMMATES, MENTORS, AND EVERYONE WHO HAS SUPPORTED AND ENCOURAGED ME ALONG THE WAY.
YOUR BELIEF IN ME, YOUR GUIDANCE, AND YOUR UNWAVERING SUPPORT HAVE MEANT MORE THAN WORDS CAN EXPRESS, AND I WILL ALWAYS BE GRATEFUL.
I ALSO FEEL IT IS IMPORTANT TO ADDRESS SOMETHING WHAT SHOULD HAVE BEEN ONE OF THE MOST MEANINGFUL AND JOYFUL MOMENT OF MY LIFE HAS, AT TIMES, BEEN OVERSHADOWED BY NEGATIVE MEDIA COVERAGE, FALSE NARRATIVES, AND UNFAIR ASSUMPTIONS ABOUT BOTH MY CHARACTER AND MY FAMILY. I UNDERSTAND THE PASSION, EXCITEMENT, AND PRIDE THAT COLLEGE FOOTBALL INSPIRES, AND I HAVE GREAT RESPECT FOR EVERY FAN BASE AND EVERY PROGRAM INVOLVED IN THIS PROCESS. HOWEVER, ANY FORM OF HARASSMENT, AND THE SPREAD OF MISINFORMATION IS SIMPLY UNNECESSARY AND UNCALLED FOR.
THIS DECISION WAS MINE AND WAS MADE THROUGH CAREFUL THOUGHT, PRAYER, AND COUNTLESS CONVERSATIONS WITH THOSE I TRUST MOST. I RESPECTFULLY ASK THAT MY DECISION BE HONORED AND THAT PEOPLE REFRAIN FROM MAKING ASSUMPTIONS OR SPREADING FALSE INFORMATION.
AS I MOVE FORWARD, MY FOCUS REMAINS ON FINISHING THE SCHOOL YEAR STRONG, CONTINUING TO GROW AS A STUDENT, A FOOTBALL PLAYER, AND MOST IMPORTANTLY AS A PERSON. I AM INCREDIBLY EXCITED FOR THE OPPORTUNITIES THAT LIE AHEAD AND LOOK FORWARD TO EMBRACING EVERY CHALLENGE WITH HUMILITY, GRATITUDE, AND A RELENTLESS COMMITMENT TO BECOMING THE BEST VERSION OF MYSELF.
TO EVERYONE WHO HAS STOOD BY ME THROUGHOUT THIS JOURNEY, THANK YOU.
YOUR ENCOURAGEMENT HAS MEANT THE WORLD TO ME. I CAN'T WAIT TO BEGIN THIS NEXT CHAPTER, REPRESENT MY NEW PROGRAM WITH PRIDE, AND CONTINUE CHASING MY DREAMS. THE FUTURE IS BRIGHT, AND I AM EXCITED FOR EVERYTHING THAT IS STILL TO COME.
GO VOLS!"
My statement. pic.twitter.com/ziO781w8kE
— David Gabriel Georges 🇭🇹🇨🇦 (@DavidGG27) July 22, 2026
David Gabriel Georges shuts down the rumors
That's fine; Ohio State fans can talk all they want because, at the end of the day, Tennessee won the big prize, landing one of the best high school tailbacks in the nation. It's too bad that Gabriel George had to post anything about it, as he should have been able to enjoy his day, but he put Buckeye fans right in their place about the claims they've made about him.
Ultimately, Josh Heupel deserves a lot of credit in this recruitment. Tennessee not only offered Gabriel Georges a substantial amount of money, but his long-lasting relationship with the coaching staff also played a big factor in his decision. Tennessee felt like home, and Heupel, along with running backs coach De'Rail Sims, played a significant role in that.
As we move forward, I wouldn't be shocked to see Gabriel Georges start from day one at Tennessee. Unless DeSean Bishop is back next fall, Gabriel Georges will be more of a complementary piece. Either way, Tennessee's depth should pay massive dividends down the road, as he could be the piece that takes the Vols from good to great.
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