Ohio State's top recruit, running back David Gabriel-Georges, finally came to his college decision, and unfortunately for the Buckeyes, the money talked.
Ohio State was one of three teams that were in the running to acquire five-star+ running back David Gabriel-Georges in the 2027 recruiting class.
A race that came down to the Buckeyes, Tennessee, and Ole Miss ended with the star running back choosing to play his college football at the University of Tennessee.
According to 247 Sports, Gabriel-Georges is the No. 12-ranked recruit in the entire country, the No. 2 running back, and the No. 1-ranked recruit in the state of Tennessee. It became apparent early on that money was going to play a major role in his college decision.
Some of the stories that have come to light are remarkable. The price tag on the young man is reportedly over $1 million; Adidas got in on the recruiting battle by allegedly signing his high school to a gear deal; his uncle reportedly is now an Adidas athlete, and so much more.
If those stories are even close to true, it just goes to show the state of college football at this point and how we have veered so far off course. However, the point here is that the Buckeyes lost out on the auction for Gabriel-Georges, and they might just be better off because of it.
The Buckeyes have exercised a very clear change in philosophy over the last two years. They have changed their approach to investing heavily in solid veteran players and no longer investing as much in star high school players.
Had they landed Gabriel-Georges, that would have been a direct contradiction to that philosophy.
Now, if this were a generational quarterback or a Jeremiah Smith-type wide receiver, then the investment is justified. The fact that it is a running back who would immediately become the highest-paid back in that room that already has two very good players in it would be a very tough sell.
Gabriel-Georges will now become a running back for the Tennessee Volunteers as they enter a very fascinating era in their program. Head coach Josh Heupel is entering his fifth year leading the program, which has been stagnant over his entire tenure.
It is a recruit like this that they are trying to invest in that will change their fortunes, or at least they hope.
David Gabriel-Georges officially becomes a Tennessee Volunteer, for now, at least until the Buckeyes get serious about him in the transfer portal next offseason.
