David Gabriel Georges will make his college decision next Wednesday, and the finish line feels as dramatic as everyone expected.
The Chattanooga Baylor School five-star running back, one of the top players in the 2027 class, will announce at 4:30 p.m. on CBS Sports HQ and the CBS Sports College Football YouTube channel.
Ohio State, Tennessee and Ole Miss are the finalists. That part hasn’t changed. What has changed is the tone around the recruitment.
Georges rushed for 1,749 yards and 27 touchdowns last fall and is widely viewed as a 2,000-yard candidate this season. He’s the No. 2 running back nationally and the No. 1 player in Tennessee. He’s also reportedly set to become the first $1 million running back recruit.
The question is who will land him.
The Ohio State-Tennessee tug-of-war
247Sports national analyst Tom Loy summed up the recruitment well this week. He wrote that Ohio State had long been considered the team to beat, largely because of Georges’ relationship with running backs coach Carlos Locklyn.
“Early on, there was plenty of buzz on Ohio State,” Loy said. “Carlos Locklyn, the Buckeyes’ running backs coach, has an extremely close relationship with DGG. The two have been connected for quite some time, longer than any other assistant that has recruited him throughout his process.”
But Loy also noted the shift that’s taken place.
“Down the stretch, there has been plenty of buzz on the in-state Volunteers,” Loy said. “There is much more optimism coming from Tennessee than ever before.”
He added that one source connected to Tennessee told him early in the process, “We will do anything possible to get this done, and we will get it done.” Loy wrote that he believes the Vols will be successful.
That’s where things stand: Ohio State’s long-term relationship versus Tennessee’s late surge and in-state momentum. Ole Miss is still listed, still recruiting, still showing up, but the public sentiment continues to tilt toward the Buckeyes and Vols.
Until Georges says otherwise, though, Ole Miss remains in the picture.
A backup plan
If Georges picks Ohio State or Tennessee, Ole Miss has a legitimate option waiting in the wings.
LSU commitment Trey Martin has quietly reemerged as far more than a distant fallback. He posted a photo over the weekend wearing Ole Miss gear alongside running backs coach Frank Wilson.
That’s not nothing. Wilson’s Louisiana ties run deep, and he’s already helped Ole Miss make meaningful inroads across the state.
Ole Miss built real momentum with Martin in June before LSU surged and secured his commitment. The Rebels never stopped recruiting him, and their pursuit could intensify if Georges goes elsewhere.
Martin is ranked as a Top 10 running back nationally and a Top 200 overall prospect. The fact he’s committed to LSU only adds to the intrigue.
A flip from Baton Rouge would be a statement, especially in a cycle where Ole Miss is trying to build long-term depth at the position.
