Josh Heupel and the Tennessee Volunteers have been putting all of their cards on the table for five-star running back David Gabriel Georges.
He is not only the No. 2 running back in the class of 2027, but he's the No. 1 prospect in the state of Tennessee and the No. 21 overall prospect in the recruiting cycle.
However, earlier this week, Heupel and the Vols received some disheartening news about Gabriel Georges' recruiting process: he's leaning toward the Ohio State Buckeyes.
Ohio State Buckeyes leading charge on David Gabriel Georges
Recruiting insider Steve Wiltfong shared that Tennessee was falling behind on the race to land Gabriel Georges' commitment, despite the young running back growing up and playing in the state that the Volunteers call home.
Earlier this month, Wiltfong wrote that the Buckeyes were the leader. Earlier this week, he shared that Ohio State is undeniably the favorite to land Gabriel Georges, according to him and the other On3 recruiting experts.
On3 currently gives the Buckeyes more than a 90 percent chance to land Gabriel Georges. The Volunteers? The site gives them just a 1.3 percent chance to keep him at home.
Despite all of this, Gabriel Georges was singing the praises of Heupel and Tennessee only a few weeks ago: "I feel like Tennessee is building and bringing in top players that will make an immediate impact… and they made it very clear they see me the same way, that I’m their top priority for 2027."
Gabriel Georges has paid three visits to the Buckeyes and just two to the Volunteers, but he was in Knoxville when they defeated the Arkansas Razorbacks last season.
While Gabriel Georges has been keeping his cards close to his chest, the Vols have continued to push to turn his attention in their direction. Clearly, Heupel and his staff need to do a little bit more to keep the young running back in Tennessee.