Recruiting is an exciting venture. Ohio State offers the elite of the elite each and every year. The Buckeyes miss out on more top-tier talents than they sign, naturally. In the 2027 recruiting cycle, Ohio State has been building up a solid defense with commitment after commitment. Over the last week, a pair of corners pledged their services to the Buckeyes.
One of the top uncommitted players in the cycle has been wined and dined by the Buckeyes with each passing visit. It has been well documented that David Gabriel Georges is essentially picking between Ohio State and Tennessee with his July 22 commitment date looming. While it may just be cope by Ohio State fans, there is a rumor that Tennessee is pulling out all the stops by way of NIL to get Gabriel Georges to stay home. Ohio State’s play? Offer an underrecruited safety and the best friend of the five-star athlete.
The Buckeyes don’t offer just anyone; there are five-star recruits who go without offers from Ohio State yearly for one reason or another. Is it just a ploy to woo Gabriel Georges, or have they found a diamond in the rough?
Ohio State Offers Scholarship to Jordan Darren Djila
Who?
Jordan Darren Djila is a safety from the Baylor School in Chattanooga, Tennessee. If that’s familiar, it’s because that’s the same school as Gabriel Georges. The pair have been friends for their whole lives as Djila was the next-door neighbor of Gabriel Georges in Canada.
In terms of measurables, Djila is five-foot-eleven and 180 pounds. However, he possesses a six-foot-five wingspan. Kids with that kind of freakish size don’t grow on trees. There was another Ohio State corner with a freakish wingspan like that, except Jeff Okudah was also six-foot-one and was the consensus number-one corner in the 2017 recruiting cycle. So, did the Buckeyes uncover a diamond in their pursuit of an elite running back?
WOW!! #AGTG after a great conversation and visit with @MattGuerrieri I'm blessed to receive an D1 offer from the
Ohio State university!@jay_agenor @ErikKimrey @JonasRodriguez @JaylonBaker_ @ChadSimmons_ @SWiltfong_ @TomLoy247 @BridgeCitySP @CSmithScout @HerechukR pic.twitter.com/uCjeK7jdSk— Jordan Darren Djila Tchuisseu (@JordanDarren27) June 19, 2026
Based on his Hudl highlights (obviously, take with a grain of salt; players don’t put lowlights on Hudl), there may be something there. He shows flashes of a defensive back who can step up in Power 4 play. Djila has the speed to chase down ball carriers, and it is very difficult to finish the catch with him in coverage. He has a good trigger when closing on the ball and can use his freakish frame to get his hand in to disrupt the pass.
According to multiple sources, Ohio State joins the likes of Dartmouth, UT-Martin, Kennessaw State, and Georgia State to offer Djila.
Sincere or a Ploy?
For the majority of those out there who have seen the offer, it looks like a ploy to lure Gabriel Georges to Ohio State. The Buckeyes continue to play by rules that aren’t there when it comes to NIL, but Tennessee is allegedly offering a king’s ransom for the top running back in the cycle. Ohio State seemingly can’t swim in those waters, so why not offer his best friend? As of now, Ohio State is the only Power 4 offer on the table, so it stands out like a sore thumb. Plus, if Tennessee decides to do the same, it will seem hollow because the Volunteers will just be doing what Ohio State is doing.
Or, do the Buckeyes actually see something in Djila, and it’s a happy coincidence? Famously, Ohio State was out west scouting Jack Tuttle when a little-known receiver made his presence known, and the Buckeyes had to offer. That receiver went on to develop into a first-round pick despite being a three-star recruit. Chris Olave, if you haven’t gathered, caught 176 passes for 2,711 yards and 35 touchdowns in his four seasons with the Buckeyes. He is currently third on the career receptions and yards mark for Ohio State while topping the leaderboard in touchdowns.
Finding diamonds in the rough is the name of the game in recruiting. Anyone can bring in the five-star recruit, but what about that lesser-known commodity? That could be Djila. Matt Guirreri and Tim Walton have earned the trust of the Buckeye faithful to develop someone like Djila.
Time Will Tell
David Gabriel Georges just posted on his
Instagram story"Neighbours to roommate to teammate???! LETS GOO!!!! MY DAY 1!!"
His teammate at Baylor Jordan Darren just got offered by Ohio State
👀🅾️🔥 he's a BUCKEYE pic.twitter.com/sncdAgwzfe
— AzBuckGuy (@AzBuckGuy) June 20, 2026
Ideally, both Djila and Gabriel Georges will sign on to be Buckeyes in six months. Gabriel Georges is widely considered to be a can’t-miss, can’t-mess-up prospect, so offering to bring his best friend along to seal the deal is an easy decision for the Buckeyes. What happens if he picks Tennessee? If Ohio State pulls the offer, it will be obvious it was a superficial ploy. If it keeps the offer and brings Djila along in the 2027 class, things get more interesting (especially if Tennessee struggles and there happens to be a coaching change).
Either way, recruiting never ends. Gabriel Georges is currently expected to verbally commit on July 22, but his recruitment will likely be all the way up until he signs his name on the dotted line, just as Jeremiah Smith‘s was in December 2023. We could even get another Ryan Day fake fainting clip this time around. Gabriel Georges is that good.
This saga isn’t going to end with this offer. It’s going to be fun to watch how this recruitment unfolds as we get closer to the early signing period.
Main Image: Angelina Alcantar/News Sentinel / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
