David Jacobs' Georgia visit did nothing to deter Tennessee in pursuit of Ohio State commit

With Tennessee and Josh Heupel going all-in right now to flip Ohio State commit David Jacobs, eyebrows were raised over the weekend when it was announced the EDGE was on a Georgia visit. The news was a bit of a surprise, as Tennessee and Miami were the only known schools who were finalizing trips with the touted playmaker.

However, while Jacobs visiting Athens with his family might have gotten Georgia fans pretty fired up, it doesn't look like the Dawgs are going to be a serious contender moving forward. That's the sense given after recruiting guru Chad Simmons opened up on how things went for the 5-star while watching Georgia smack around Western Kentucky.

"Do I think Georgia today is a threat to Ohio State? I would say no today," Simmons said. "Look, there's a long way to go until December. Every visit, every bit of communication, all that face time with the staff definitely doesn't hurt Georgia, and Georgia hasn't stopped recruiting DJ Jacobs and DJ still picks up the phone. I think he'll be back at Ohio State at least two or three more times this season and he still feels good there, but Georgia is not letting him go."

Tennessee won't give up trying to steal 5-star Ohio State commit David Jacobs away from Ryan Day

Why does this all matter for the Vols and Heupel? Because with Jacobs being a Georgia product, there has still been some worry that Kirby Smart might be able to pose a threat to Tennessee and keep the in-stater home.

Simmons' comments sure won't instill much confidence for Georgia fans that Smart will be able to pull this off. So, who does that leave as the serious contenders to steal the nation's No. 1 pass-rusher away from Ryan Day and Larry Johnson?

Tennessee has to be at the top of the list, with defensive line coach Rodney Garner leading the charge here. Garner coached Jacobs' father at Georgia, with the relationship there being strong. Just like Georgia and Miami, the Vols are also going after Jacobs' younger brother Dawson, who is a stud playmaker in the 2028 class.

Getting the entire Jacobs family in Knoxville this fall for a game day will be crucial for these flip efforts. On top of that, we already know that Tennessee isn't afraid to put top NIL dollar on the table for elite talents, as it was reported that 5-star running back David Gabriel Georges committed to UT with a three-year, $6 million offer in front of him. Goodness.

It's totally unknown at this time how much Heupel and Co. will be ready to offer Jacobs, but it's safe to assume it's going to be an eye-opening amount. For now, the 6-5, 240-pounder remains locked in with the Buckeyes, but several schools are working to change that. Georgia may have been a program to keep a close eye on, but that no longer feels to be the case. The same 100 percent can't be said about Tennessee, as Garner and Heupel are going to keep grinding to try to get this done.

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