The Ohio State Buckeyes are not falling behind the Tennessee Volunteers in Baylor Red Raiders star running back David Gabriel Georges. If anything, OSU may be about to show the Vols that there are levels to this recruiting game, and all of the spending in the world -- of which Tennessee does a lot on Rocky Top but doesn't get a return that reflects it -- won't help them land a needle-mover like DGG.
That's On3's Steve Wiltfong's take on the situation anyway. Wiltfong has supreme confidence in the Ohio State University showing up in Gabriel Georges' recruitment in a way befitting of the Buckeyes brand.
"OSU will be as competitive as they've ever been on the NIL front for a prospect. They have shown Gabriel Georges a plan that includes early playing time right out of the gate and they have a great relationship with the family and stand on a program that historically and recently boasts great offenses and backs that hear their names called early in the NFL Draft," Wiltfong said.
The Volunteers got a major financial boost from the Haslam family, with a massive recent donation to move the needle forward. It's not a great look for the Cleveland Browns' owner to compete against his state's flagship university for a recruit, given the largely shared fanbases of the Dawg Pound and Buckeye Nation, but it's Jimmy Haslam's money, I suppose. He's already let down Ohioans more than most with his franchise. But I digress. Even with this money, the Volunteers still have several programs they're investing heavily in. As Gus Johnson so lovingly called out in February after the basketball team upset the Virginia Cavaliers, the budget in Columbus is spent on the gridiron. Ryan Day and Co. are here to deliver massive results, with the focus essentially all on them.
DGG is the kind of recruit that Ohio State digs into the reserves for. Tennessee is about to find that out the hard way.
Ohio State lost Jayden Miles to pursue David Gabriel Georges
The Buckeyes were deep on Baton Rouge Catholic RB Jayden Miles but ultimately lost out on him to the Florida State Seminoles, who don't seem to be giving up on Mike Norvell just yet. Ohio State almost certainly took that loss to invest in DGG.
The Buckeyes cannot lose out on Gabriel Georges with that in mind. With plenty of time to flip options across the country, but not forever, the urgency is somewhat high. The closer we get to December without a blue-chip RB in the room, the more stressful things will get in Columbus. A loss to the Vols on the recruiting trail would cause preseason anxiety that doesn't need to exist, even for an in-state recruit in Tennessee.
Time to put up or shut up for OSU's donors. This is the time to make a statement. With a difficult schedule ahead in 2026, it's better to lock in recruits for the future before the narratives start to scream that the world is falling apart during every loss.
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