Getty Images

RECRUITING: SEC Battle Shaping Up for 5-star OL

Originally posted on Mike Farrell Sports
By Mark Pszonak | Last updated May 27, 2025 11:19 AM ET

Grabbing a commitment from a five-star offensive lineman is a huge boost to any recruiting class, but that doesn’t mean other schools will suddenly stop chasing. That is the situation with Gabriel Osenda, who committed to Tennessee in January, but now has Georgia in hot pursuit.

Osenda, who plays his high school football in Chattanooga, continues to be solidly committed to the Vols, but rumors over the last couple of weeks have put some fans on edge. This intensified when Georgia lost five-star offensive lineman Jackson Cantwell to Miami, at which time they have set their sights on Osenda.

Over the weekend, any stress that Tennessee fans had regarding Osenda was eased a bit when he returned to campus and posted several photos on social media.

#865live pic.twitter.com/kkbj57rVwG
— Gabriel “Big Squish” Osenda (@gabriel_osenda) May 24, 2025

While this was a nice distraction for Tennessee fans, a return visit to Knoxville isn’t going to slow down Georgia. Expect the Bulldogs to continue to push, establish relationships and try and get Osenda on campus for a visit.

As Georgia fans were reminded during Cantwell's process, when he flipped during the last day in favor of Miami, recruiting nowadays is as tumultuous as ever. Everything can and does change quickly, so any Tennessee fan who isn’t at least a bit concerned until Osenda is signed, sealed and delivered hasn’t been paying attention to the recruiting chaos that takes place on a regular basis across the country.

And for everyone else, this could be an entertaining recruiting battle between two of the SEC's elite.

This article first appeared on Mike Farrell Sports and was syndicated with permission.

More must-reads: