Despite compliments, Ryan Day must be concerned about what Ohio State is lacking in chase for elite regional playmaking recruit

A lot of things have to go right to land any top recruit, and the Ohio State Buckeyes have seen both sides of the coin throughout the years. Sometimes, they can't bridge the gap made by things out of their control, including distance from home, NIL money, or playing time. But there are some losses that are borne purely out of not harvesting a relationship as well as they could.

Those misses are tough pills to swallow, and the Buckeyes are hoping they're connecting better with Tennessee four-star running back David Gabriel-Georges, who hails from Quebec, Canada, originally. Running backs coach Carlos Locklyn has been in charge of Gabriel-Georges' recruitment, with head coach Ryan Day closely watching.

Locklyn first extended an offer to the 6-foot, 205-pound back in eighth grade, and Gabriel-Georges has been his primary target in this class all along. The 30th overall prospect in the 2027 class has talked extensively about his two trips to Columbus since April.

“I camped at Ohio State and worked out with Coach Lock (Carlos Locklyn). He’s a great coach and spent time with my uncle and brother too. It was my second time there, and he really focuses on making sure his guys understand what he’s coaching. He puts them in a position to be successful,” Gabriel-Georges said.

At least in that quote, though, Gabriel-Georges didn't hit on a key part of what he said he needs to commit, which was, "Relationships with coaches and how they see me in their offense—those things are important, too." Meanwhile, he said coaches "felt like family" at Georgia, Syracuse, and Tennessee.

There are some more promising words that he shared, though you'll still see he's not focused as much on the connection to the staff as he was with other schools.

“What stood out the most at Ohio State was the energy,” Gabriel Georges told Lettermen Row. “The camp was super competitive, and everything moved fast. You could tell everybody there was serious. I went with my uncle and my brother, and we all felt how locked in the coaches were.

“The running backs coach showed a lot of love and really broke stuff down that made sense. Watching how they train their backs to be complete not just runners that really caught my attention. The whole vibe just felt big time.”

The good news is that Locklyn has certainly demonstrated the technical prowess and ability to connect via on-field coaching. The question is whether there's an off-field

“He was breaking down little things like foot placement, pad level, and how to finish runs the right way,” Gabriel Georges said. “He really care about his players and gonna help you get to that next level...I left there feeling like I got better just from talking to him."

There's a lot of positives to feel like Gabriel-Georges will spur the Bulldogs, Volunteers, Ducks, and Orange. But it's also a bit concerning what he didn't mention when showing love to the Buckeyes. He was careful to detail what he wants and has seen.

With his visit to Ohio State coinciding with a huge guest list in Week 1 against Texas, including star 2027 receiver Monshun Sales, the Buckeyes have to make that bond ASAP if they haven't already.