English might be David Gabriel Georges’ second language, but nothing about Carlos Locklyn’s coaching intensity was lost in translation on Tuesday.
"That’s something I like, because it pushed me to work my hardest,” Gabriel Georges said after the camp.
It’s an approach that appeals to Gabriel Georges.
The elite 2027 prospect has been coached hard by relatives since he first took up the sport as a child, and though there’s a long way to go in his recruitment, Locklyn will have Ohio State in the thick of a heated battle for his services.
“I’m from a family of football players. My uncle, he is a coach, and the way he coached me was always, ‘Do this, do that.’ Like military kind of (style), like Coach Lock,” Gabriel Georges said with a big smile. “It’s always like, screaming, ‘Cut.’ So it’s something I’m familiar with and I really like that.”
Gabriel Georges is originally from Quebec, Canada, and, as with 22% of Canadians, his first language is French.
He moved to Tennessee to play high school football at Baylor School in Chattanooga. Only then, 11 months ago, did he start learning English, but he’s already absorbed enough to carry on a conversation. He said there are a lot of “really, really nice” teachers and coaches at Baylor School to assist him. Still, there was definitely an adjustment period.
“At first (it was difficult), yeah, because I play in Tennessee, so the first month was pretty hard for me to understand the coaches,” Gabriel Georges said. “School, at the beginning, was pretty hard. And that Baylor team really helped me learn English faster. Right now, sometimes, I can ask questions, repeat it and understand it better. But it’s kind of hard sometimes.”
The choice to pursue his college football ambitions away from home in the United States was difficult, but necessary in Gabriel Georges’ eyes.
“In Canada, you don’t really have good exposure for university and stuff,” Gabriel Georges said. “If I would have stayed in Canada, I would never be able to be here (at Ohio State) or be able to do visits. ... It was (hard), because I’m going to be far from my family and friends. But at some point, it was something I had to do if I wanted to succeed in football and have more exposure and be able to play against good players.”
While Gabriel Georges is new to America, he is not new to American football.
He’s been playing since he was 5 years old in Canada. And since that age, he’s played running back. That – and his freakish athleticism – shows on tape.
With razor-like cuts and blazing speed, Gabriel Georges had 114 carries for 1,103 yards (9.7 yards per carry) and 14 touchdowns as a sophomore in 2024, his first season stateside. Ranked as the No. 43 overall prospect and No. 4 running back in the 247Sports composite for the recruiting class of 2027, he’s already emerged as Ohio State’s top target at the position for the rising junior class.
While he loves Locklyn’s coaching style, Gabriel Georges is too early in his process to have a group of favorite schools. His recruitment has caught fire in the past year and he holds an Ohio State offer alongside Alabama, Auburn, Colorado, Florida State, Georgia, Michigan, Michigan State, Missouri, North Carolina, Notre Dame, Oklahoma, Oregon, Penn State, Tennessee, Texas and USC among many, many others.
“Everything is new for me, so me and my family, we’re taking our time to visit and see everything,” Gabriel Georges said.
Academics come first for Gabriel Georges, who wants to study in a health-related field like both of his parents. He also wants a coach he feels will maximize his talents and an offense that fits his style of rushing.
“The coach,” Gabriel Georges said. “How they play their running backs. Like, some schools play more pass and to run block, but that's the type of thing I look at. I would say school first, because my mom and my dad really want me to go to a great school and want me to get a great degree.”
Locklyn could end up being the coach and Ohio State the school that fits that description, especially on the former end. Gabriel Georges felt he grew his game instantly learning from Locklyn on Tuesday, pointing specifically to his ball security, cuts and pass blocking.
“I think Coach Locklyn is a great coach for that,” Gabriel Georges said. “He's really showing me on the field and showing me some new drills and some type of things that I have to correct about myself and how I play football.”
