David Gabriel-Georges, the nation’s No. 2-ranked running back and No. 9 overall prospect, is set to announce his college decision on Wednesday, July 22. For most of this cycle, that decision has looked like a two-team race between Ohio State and Tennessee. The Buckeyes carried the edge as the program with the deepest relationship with Gabriel-Georges and his family. However, that advantage has narrowed since David’s June 5 visit to Tennessee. With the uncertainty over David, Ryan Day’s Ohio State has now turned its attention to an ACC commit.

According to Jeremy Birmingham of Lettermen Row, Gabriel-Georges’ trip to Knoxville a week after his official visit to Columbus shifted the balance toward Tennessee. Neither side is heading into decision week fully confident. In that case, if Gabriel-Georges picks the Volunteers, Ryan Day’s staff won’t be starting its backup plan from scratch. They already have a specific name in mind, and it’s Florida State commit Jayden Miles.

“Well, I mean, the Buckeyes have had a few other players at the position that they’ve kept on,” Jeremy shared on the Inside Scoop show by Rivals on YouTube.

“I don’t want to say a backup plan, Jayden Miles, the Florida State commitment, is one that took an official visit to Ohio State. He was actually the only other running back around the country that did take an official visit to Ohio State. He committed to Florida State the day after his Ohio State official visit, knowing fully well that the Buckeyes were not going to allow him to make a decision that involved their school until David made his decision.”

Ryan Day didn’t start thinking of a backup plan only because David Gabriel-Georges visited Knoxville. The amount of NIL money Tennessee could offer him factored in, too.

Birmingham explained that Gabriel-Georges sees a real chance to help rebuild the Volunteers back to national prominence, something Columbus can’t quite offer. At Ohio State, Birmingham said, he has the risk of becoming just “a cog in the big bad Buckeye machine.”

Now it is totally up to Gabriel-Georges to decide whether he wants to be someone who can lead a team to something greater or join an already established team, which could make his route to the NFL a bit easier. But for Ohio State, if it’s a no from David Gabriel-Georges, they will look to lock in Jayden Miles. There are certain reasons for that.

Why Jayden Miles, and Not Someone Else

Birmingham mentioned that Alabama commit Nigel Newkirk was a name Ohio State had genuine interest in. According to Birmingham, Newkirk was supposed to visit Columbus in June before the Crimson Tide made it worth his while to skip the trip altogether.

Newkirk never got the in-person evaluation Miles did. And that’s exactly why Miles sits ahead of him if the Buckeyes need to pivot. Birmingham was clear that he doesn’t expect the Buckeyes to simply redirect whatever budget was earmarked for Gabriel-Georges toward a different five-star just to fill the spot.

Jayden helped Catholic’s 10-3 squad reach the Louisiana Division I Select state semifinals last season. He has already produced over 1,000 rushing yards and 24 touchdowns in his junior season.

But Ohio State is not in a hurry to make any decisions yet. Even if they do not get Jayden Miles, they will not hurry to sign anyone. The season starts in about a month. Senior film will start rolling in soon, and Ohio State has the luxury of evaluating rather than reacting. However, everything depends on Gabriel-Georges’ decision, which is due on or before July 22.