Baylor School junior David Gabriel Georges heard some surprising words while on a Tennessee football recruiting visit last season.
One of the Volunteers’ assistants said “thank you” in Georges’ native French language. Georges, a five-star 2027 running back, is from Quebec, Canada, and was still trying to master English at the time.
Things like that stand out to Georges.
“I really like that place and think it could be a good fit,” Georges said after leading Baylor to a 48-7 win at CPA on Sept. 19. “I like all the coaches. I like coach (Josh) Heupel. He came to our game at Brentwood Academy, and it got canceled, so I was mad. I thought it would be a great game and he kind of helped me lock in for that game. I had a chance to dap him up and say hi to him. It was great.”
Every recruiter has their preferred pitch for Georges, who is the No. 1 player in Tennessee from the 2027 class, according to the 247Sports Composite, and No. 3 running back and No. 36 player nationally.
Georges’ Baylor teammate Gabriel Osenda, a Tennessee 2026 offensive line commit, has a simple proposition.
“I just tell him, ‘Come let me block for you again for a couple more years,’” Osenda said. “I’m staying on him hard. I know wherever he’ll go, he’ll do great things. But I definitely want him at Tennessee with me.”
Osenda said if he’s not the first person in Baylor’s weight room each day, it’s Georges, and vice versa. Osenda also grew up in Canada but hails from Alberta.
Georges is planning a Tennessee visit for either the Oklahoma or Arkansas game, he said. Until then, he’s hearing plenty of things about the Vols from Osenda and Baylor senior cornerback Jayman Theodore, also a Tennessee commitment.
“They just tell me it’s the place,” Georges said. “They think it could be a great place for me.”
Tennessee football target David Gabriel Georges’ highlight TD that didn’t count vs. CPA
Osenda cleared plenty of running room in the Baylor (4-0, 1-0 DII-AAA East Region) win at CPA (1-4, 0-1). Georges rushed for 136 yards and three touchdowns on 11 carries while playing only the first half.
At other times, Georges didn’t need blocking. He juked one defender and leapt over another in the first half for a short touchdown, but he was flagged for hurdling. Georges scored on a 29-yard run the next play.
The negated touchdown was still stunning and showed why Baylor coach Erik Kimrey, who won 12 state titles at Hammond (South Carolina) and spent two seasons coaching tight ends at South Carolina for Shame Beamer, says Georges is the best high school running back he’s ever coached.
“That was a crazy play,” Osenda said. “He’s just athletic like that.”
One of Georges’ runs in a Maryville scrimmage — where he turned a negative-yardage play into a TD — earlier this season went viral. He wasn’t expecting that.
“That was kind of new. Usually (the videos) get a few ‘likes,’ or something. I don’t see that many people reacting to that,” Georges said. “I was kind of happy to see that.”
Tyler Palmateer covers high school sports for The Tennessean. Have a story idea for Tyler? Reach him at tpalmateer@tennessean.com and on the X platform, @tpalmateer83.
He also helps write The Tennessean’s high school sports newsletter, The Bootleg. Subscribe to The Bootleg here.
This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: 5-star RB David Gabriel Georges eyes date for Tennessee football visit
