Ryan Day and the Ohio State coaching staff are fresh off their busiest weekend since the end of the spring practice session. The Buckeyes played host to a handful of the nation’s top high school football recruits last weekend, which was the first of what will be many official visit recruiting weekends for the Buckeyes.
While getting a recruit on campus any time is a big recruiting win and helps a team put itself in a position to become serious contenders in a player’s recruitment process. Official
visits offer an even strong insight into a recruits mindset.
The Buckeyes had multiple blue-chip prospects on campus last weekend on official visits, but the biggest name was likely 2027 five-star running back David Gabriel Georges (Chattanooga, TN / Baylor School). Gabriel Georges is the No. 2 RB in the 247Sports Composite, and he is the No. 10 overall recruit. He is also the top-rated recruit out of Tennessee.
The visit was not the first for the blue-chip back, who has made his way to Ohio State on numerous occasions, and his last visit with Ohio State was last August when he visited Ohio Stadium for the Buckeyes home opener against Texas.
This past weekend’s visit was even more important, as not only did the Buckeyes host him on an official visit, but it was his first official visit to any school, meaning Ohio State had a chance to set the bar high in his recruitment.
Gabriel Georges has more official visits planned with Ole Miss, Tennessee and Georgia, but the Buckeyes have appeared to have set the bar incredibly high for the elite back. While the Buckeyes were already viewed by some as the favorites in his recruitment prior to his visit, there is even more of a reason to believe this is true following his visit.
All reports following the visit make it sound like Gabriel Georges and his family felt comfortable and excited about the idea of him continuing his football career in Columbus. So much so, that recruiting predictions are already being made in favor of the Buckeyes for Gabriel Georges.
Monday morning, Alex Gleitman of On3 submitted an expert prediction for the Buckeyes to land Gabriel Georges. This is the second prediction favoring the Buckeyes by an On3 recruiting expert and no other school has one.
While all signs are pointing towards Gabriel Georges joining Ohio State’s 2027 recruiting class, he again still has more official visits planned. He likely will not make an announcement on a decision until those visits are completed, but if he and his family feel certain Ohio State is the place for him, a commitment could come before then.
Ohio State’s 2027 recruiting class is already off to an impressive start. The Buckeyes hold 13 verbal commitments in this year’s cycle, which is good enough for the No. 10 class according to 247Sports.
The Buckeyes already have the defensive face of this year’s cycle wrapped up in five-star edge DJ Jacobs, and Gabriel Georges would make for an excellent face for the offensive side of things. Gabriel Georges would also be the first running back in Ohio State’s 2027 class.
Make sure to follow Land-Grant Holy Land as we will keep you updated on Gabriel Georges recruitment and all things Ohio State recruiting.
Quick Hits
Ohio State isn’t the only school hosting recruits on official visits, and the Buckeyes saw one of the members of their 2027 class visit elsewhere this weekend. Ohio State three-star safety commit Angelo Smith (Hollywood, FL / Chaminade-Madonna) took an official visit with USF.
While Smith may only be a three-star prospect, the Buckeyes have long been recruiting him and would love to keep him in their class. He is also the younger brother of current Ohio State star wide receiver Jeremiah Smith.
Angelo Smith has one other official visit scheduled, and that is with Ohio State this coming weekend. If this visit goes well, this could be the last step in solidifying his commitment to Ohio State.
