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COLUMBUS, Ohio — The saga that was David Gabriel Georges’ recruitment is seemingly over. The five-star running back committed to Tennessee on Wednesday, choosing the Vols over Ohio State and Ole Miss.
For the Buckeyes, his decision is certainly a blow. Ohio State hasn’t landed a five-star running back since TreVeyon Henderson in 2021 — a drought that assistant coach Carlos Locklyn was clearly focused on ending this year.
What does that mean for the future of the room?
It may not be too problematic. Ohio State will go into the 2026 season with a relatively young, though largely unproven, unit. With this core, the Buckeyes have a foundation to build off of, though Gabriel Georges won’t be part of it.
Ohio State RB eligibility chart
Note: Ohio State does not have any running backs committed to the 2027 or 2029 recruiting classes. We’ve added one placeholder for each class.
Bo Jackson is the key piece
Ohio State has young, talented players entering the 2026 season with ambitions of taking a step forward and becoming reliable players. But the development of Bo Jackson, specifically, is of utmost importance.
The Cleveland native had a breakout freshman season last year, rushing for 1,090 yards and six touchdowns. His best performance came against Michigan, where he rushed for 117 yards and helped end a four-game losing streak in The Game.
However, an injury sidelined him for the spring season. He’s expected to be back in action for preseason camp — something Ohio State needs.
Jackson briefly flirted with the transfer portal this offseason, but the Buckeyes made clear they wanted him back in Columbus.
Is a running back like Bo Jackson enough?
Jackson earned the 15th-best offensive grade among running backs with at least 150 carries last year, according to Pro Football Focus. History suggests that’s good enough for Ohio State.
Here’s where the top running back on each of the last 10 national title teams ranked in the same metric:
- Indiana’s Kaelon Black: No. 25
- Ohio State’s Quinshon Judkins: No. 9
- Michigan’s Blake Corum: No. 28
- Georgia’s Kenny McIntosh: No. 24
- Georgia’s Zamir White: No. 11
- Alabama’s Najee Harris: No. 3
- LSU’s Clyde Edwards-Helaire: No. 19
- Clemson’s Travis Etienne: No. 5
- Alabama: No running back with more than 150 carries in 2017
- Clemson’s Wayne Gallman: No. 32
Zamir White and Najee Harris are the lone five-star prospects on that list. Jackson was a four-star recruit.
The addition of Legend Bey
Before Ohio State was battling Tennessee for a high-level running back, it was… battling Tennessee for a high-level running back.
The Volunteers signed Legend Bey as part of their 2026 recruiting class last December. However, they released him and watched as he flipped to Ohio State.
The Buckeyes need him to prove worthy of the work it took to get him.
Coach Ryan Day has compared Bey to Tyreek Hill, Curtis Samuel and Xavier Johnson. While an injury shortened his spring, the Buckeyes are hoping Bey also helps the offense become more explosive.
Day hasn’t committed yet to labeling Bey as a running back or a receiver, with the freshman working at both positions when healthy. However, it’s clear Locklyn — who said watching Bey run is art — wants the Texas native in his room. If talent turns into production, Ohio State could get up to five years from him.
Recruiting high school and portal talent
Attrition is inevitable in today’s college football landscape. While a chart showing how long a player can be at one school is appealing, it’s foolish to believe that’s exactly how it’ll work out.
Ohio State is likely to lose players who feel they could get more playing time elsewhere. It could even lose starters, as Jackson reminded us of in January. However, the Buckeyes have proven capable of acquiring high-level talent to replace anything they lose.
Ohio State added All-SEC running back Quinshon Judkins to its 2024 roster, with the former Ole Miss standout helping the Buckeyes win a national title. The addition of Ja’Kobi Jackson wasn’t much of a splash this offseason, but Ohio State leaned on the portal for a specific need: a veteran presence in a young running backs room.
Missing on Gabriel Georges is certainly a blow, and you’d be hard-pressed to find someone around Ohio State using the “We didn’t want him anyway” excuse. But if there’s a time to miss on a vaunted prospect, it’s when you have a young core holding up the room in an era when winning a title doesn’t require rostering the nation’s best running back.
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