David Gabriel Georges gets $2 million as Tennessee football freshman, per report

Tennessee football will pay five-star running back David Gabriel Georges about $2 million in his freshman year after he arrives in 2027, On3.com reported.

His initial contract will pay approximately $6 million on over three years. That includes about $2 million in year one, plus travel benefits for his family, who mostly live in Canada.

Revenue-sharing and NIL pay are not released publicly by schools. However, NIL collectives and sports agents sometimes divulge contracts terms. Based on that information, Gabriel Georges is believed to be the highest paid running back recruit of the NIL era.

Gabriel Georges will also be among the highest paid running backs of any class in college football in 2027. Running backs are often paid less than higher valued positions like quarterback and edge rusher.

Tennessee believed David Gabriel Georges was worth it

On July 22, Gabriel Georges committed to Tennessee over Ohio State and Ole Miss after a fierce recruiting battle. He grew up near Montreal in Quebec, Canada. He moved to Chattanooga in 2024, becoming an instant star at Baylor School and coveted recruit.

He can sign scholarship papers in the early signing period in Dec. 2-4, 2026, and play for the Vols in the 2027 season.

Gabriel Georges is viewed as having the size (6-foot, 205 pounds) and skillset that translate immediately to the college level. Tennessee apparently believes that, considering its NIL offer.

It's not the first time that Tennessee has led the way in NIL pay.

In 2022, five-star quarterback Nico Iamaleava signed a reported three-year, $8 million deal with the Vols during his recruitment. He spent only two seasons at UT, including a 2024 College Football Playoff appearance, before transferring to UCLA in 2025.

The NIL pay scale has increased at virtually all positions since then, but Gabriel Georges made the biggest leap to date for running back recruits.

Adam Sparks is the Tennessee football beat reporter. Email adam.sparks@knoxnews.com. X, formerly known as Twitter@AdamSparks. Support strong local journalism by subscribing atknoxnews.com/subscribe.

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This article originally appeared on Knoxville News Sentinel: David Gabriel Georges gets $2 million as Tennessee football freshman, per report