In the current NIL landscape, recruitment often comes down to money. The same is happening with the Class of 2027 five-star RB David Gabriel Georges. He has turned his recruitment into an intriguing bidding war between Ohio State and Tennessee, with both schools seemingly willing to go the extra mile to land one of the most coveted prospects in the country.

Joey Petersen, the host of Tennessee Football Talk, did an extensive analysis of how this bidding war is going, and the Vols have a slight edge over Ryan Day’s program. Petersen, in his review, also covered what analysts had to say about this recruitment campaign.

If we go back to the 2026 class, the No. 2-ranked running back, Savion Hiter, was projected to secure a financial package worth between $600,000 and $800,000 in Year One. Programs already viewed that as a significant investment for a running back, but Georges could command an even bigger deal that makes those numbers look modest by comparison.

To sign the RB, Day has already gone over the budget, indicating the desperate need for the No. 1 RB in the Buckeyes. After earning the label of “the best back we’ve scouted in years,” Georges has every program pushing harder to land his commitment.

“One thing to note: when I asked about NIL, I was told Ohio State is all-in on this one. The Buckeyes usually don’t do that for backs, but they feel DGG is special,” said Alex Gleitman of Lettermen Row (On3). It was a heavy push on Hiter during his recruitment from both Georgia and Tennessee, but eventually he landed at Michigan.

As programs continue to pursue Georges, his NIL package is expected to reach $1 million. He visited Columbus and even called it a great visit, but he also added that he wanted to complete the process and allow every school to make its case before settling on the One. While everything looked to be going in the Buckeyes’ favor, the Vols have changed the scenario.

During his visit to Knoxville, fans displayed signs to welcome him to the program. Josh Heupel even had former Tennessee RB Alvin Kamara at the program, who is DGG’s favorite player. The analysts confirmed the buzz after the visit.

“There is a ton of buzz nobody will be able to touch what Tennessee has in store from an NIL standpoint,” Chad Simmons said on On3.

“A financial package nobody else will be able to touch,” said Steve Wiltfong

Josh Heupel is going to do anything to win this bidding war from the Buckeyes. But there are other teams, too, on his recruiting trail.

Other teams on David Gabriel-Georges’ recruitment trail

While Ohio State and Tennessee are on their toes with DGG, they are not the only ones in the race to grab the running back. Georgia and Ole Miss are two programs that have been on the lookout for him. The 6-foot, 205-pound talent remains uncommitted and keeps all of his options open until he announces his decision on July 22.

“Despite all the noise surrounding the Buckeyes and the Volunteers, Ole Miss is still a factor in this recruitment, per a source,” On3’s Zach Berry noted. “Gabriel Georges’ best friend from Baylor School and former backfield mate, Shekai Mills-Knight, is in Oxford now. And, fellow Baylor School alum Brycen Sanders returns for another year as the starting center for the Rebels.”

The chances for the Georgia Bulldogs look slim, with their roster already having Kemon Spell in it.