Recruiting insiders were listening closely when Jean Agenor, David Gabriel Georges’ uncle, laid out how the five-star’s recruitment would unfold: “We’re going to go through with the process, and we’re going to give Ole Miss and Georgia the opportunity to make their pitch.” Just as the SEC giant, Kirby Smart, was about to roll out the red carpet for him this weekend, the Chattanooga native decided to go against his family’s promise.

On Wednesday evening, Georges announced he was canceling his official visit to Athens. The Chattanooga standout made it pretty clear he wants to focus on the three schools where he already took official visits: Ole Miss, Ohio State, and Tennessee.

“I just wanted to focus on other schools that fit what I’m looking for better,” Georges told On3’s Hayes Fawcett. “Recruiting is a big decision, and I felt it was best to put my energy into the places where I see myself the most.”

By tearing up the family’s words and skipping the trip to Athens, Georges made it crystal clear that he is the one calling the shots for his football future, no matter what anyone else expects.

Georges is widely viewed as one of the best players in the 2027 recruiting cycle. The Quebec, Canada native, who now stars at Baylor School in Chattanooga, Tennessee, is ranked as the No. 10 overall player in the country and the No. 2 running back in the class according to the 247Sports Composite rankings.

Georgia already has a commitment from Kemon Spell, the only running back ranked ahead of Georges in the entire 2027 class. However, the equation may not be quite that simple. The last thing the nation’s second-best RB wants is to fight tooth and nail with the nation’s best running back for split carries. It wouldn’t be realistic for either of them.

In 2007, USC recruited the nation’s top two RBs, Joe McKnight and Marc Tyler, a strategy that backfired. The USC Trojans did the unthinkable by signing Joe McKnight (No. 1) and Marc Tyler (No. 2) in the same class.

While McKnight did alright and was drafted in the fourth round, Tyler didn’t get to be the main starter until his junior and senior years and went completely undrafted, even though he led the team in rushing yards in his final season. Georges likely saw the same trap, which is elite talent sharing carries, neither reaching full potential.

With Georgia officially out of the picture, this recruitment has turned into a wild three-team sprint. Ohio State has been a long-time favorite to land him, mostly because his relationship with the Buckeyes’ RB coach, Carlos Locklyn, is pretty tight. They hosted Georges last month, and his family loved the way the Buckeyes made them feel. But Tennessee is making a move Ohio State can’t ignore.

Tennessee’s big rumored NIL offer

On3’s Lettermen Row reports Tennessee is offering $6 million over three years to secure Georges. That’s about $2 million per season, which honestly is unheard of for a high school running back. Not even college football’s top running backs, like Ahmed Hardy of Missouri and Kewan Lacy, make that much. The Vols are even ready to double down. Word on the street is that the package includes things like private air travel and real estate options.

His 2025 season explains the Vols’ aggression. For Baylor School, Georges averaged 11+ yards per carry, totaling 1,756 rushing yards and 27 touchdowns. In one playoff game, he rushed for 431 yards and seven touchdowns, which, in a way, helped him win the MaxPreps National Player of the Year honor.

However, Ohio State isn’t backing down just because of the massive price tag. On3’s Steve Wiltfong reports Ohio State plans to match Tennessee’s offer aggressively.

Georges’ decision won’t just be about who throws the most money at him, his uncle confirmed that. But Tennessee has definitely set a money bar that the Buckeyes are now forced to match. We’ll find out on July 22 where he’ll head.