One of the best running backs in the country coming out of high school coming off winning a huge national honor is drawing closer to what will be a massive recruiting decision, and one college football powerhouse could be pulling away into the lead.Five-star Chattanooga (Tenn.) running back David Gabriel Georges remains one of the highest ranked uncommitted prospects in the 2027 college football recruiting class, and while three schools look firmly entrenched as finalists, one is definitely sticking out.Who’s in the lead?Adam Cairns/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn ImagesRight now, it sounds like Ohio State has the clear advantage in its pursuit of the Canadian-born star rusher, on the back of a close relationship between him and Buckeyes running backs coach Carlos Locklyn.Locklyn has met with Gabriel Georges’ family in Quebec and Ohio State has hosted him on campus for personal visits, with an official meet up scheduled between the two sides over the final weekend of this month.No running back has committed to Ohio State’s 2028 class yet, but the seventh-ranked group includes verbals from consensus No. 1 edge rusher David Jacobs, No. 3 wide receiver Jamier Brown, and most recently No. 11 edge Wyatt Smith.SEC powers look to challenge Ohio StateBrianna Paciorka/News Sentinel / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn ImagesThe biggest challenger in the mix for Gabriel Georges right now is Tennessee, yet to bring on a running back commit, but boasts pledges from No. 10 wide receiver Kesean Bowman and No. 13 offensive tackle Princeton Uwaifo.Josh Heupel’s program has made the No. 1 player in Tennessee a priority target for their offense, and the Vols look like the one real threat to the Buckeyes in this race, hoping to build on the relationship between the prospect and RBs coach De’Rail Sims during their upcoming reported visit on June 5..Ole Miss is the third school that looks to have a realistic line on Gabriel Georges, sitting on a relatively solid, but less favored, rapport with the player.The running back will see the Rebels on an official visit on June 12, per reports, where Pete Golding and positional coach Frank Wilson will look to position themselves as contenders in what looks like a three-school race for the blue-chip back.Still, it looks tough to unseat the Buckeyes“Ohio State’s checking all the boxes right now, from a fit standpoint, depth chart, and opportunity to come in and play as a true freshman… Ohio State has everything he’s looking for,” Rivals recruiting insider Steve Wiltfong said.A blue-chip prospectAngelina Alcantar/News Sentinel / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn ImagesGabriel Georges is a powerful, explosive back who combines rare size, elite burst, and a violent running style that makes him nearly impossible to bring down in the open field.He has long been considered among the very best high school players at his position nationally, currently listed as the No. 2 running back in the country and the No. 13 overall prospect at any position, according to an industry weighted average of the national recruiting services.That average marks Gabriel Georges, a former MaxPreps National High School Football Player of the Year, as a near-consensus five star recruit and the top overall player from the state of Tennessee in the 2027 class.Gabriel Georges ran for 1,605 yards and scored 25 touchdowns over his last varsity season for Baylor School, averaging just under 12 yards per attempt.Add us as a preferred source on GoogleFollow