Yet another 5-star prospect is picking up steam on the recruiting trail. It’s none other than the linebacker Xavier Griffin. But hasn’t he already given his commitment to Lincoln Riley’s USC Trojans? Well, yes. However, just last month, he had stepped away from his commitment. The debate continues on whether Griffin followed a ‘no feelings are final’ path, or was he forced to jump off the Trojans’ wagon? For now, one of his hot pursuit programs is leaving no stone unturned to woo Griffin’s heart. Meanwhile, two SEC programs are locking their horns to show ‘who is the best’ by hunting down Griffin. 

Lincoln Riley can no longer afford any more mess-ups when it comes to their recruiting trail. The Trojans have lost 23 players as of March. So, it’s obvious that Riley no longer wants any other players who are dicey about their USC commitment. They are now following a ‘when you commit, that’s it. We don’t want you taking any more visits.’ But Griffin wanted to explore more options before hitting the ‘SETTLE’ button. Turns out that his plan might have been to take his time till December to explore and then come back to Trojans. But Riley rained on the plans. Going by the reports, Griffin’s decision to pull his pledge from USC stemmed from a desire to schedule official visits elsewhere. But so what? Programs like Alabama and Georgia waited with open doors. And now there is a new door in that lineup as Ohio State picks up the “buzz.”  

On June 4, Josh Newberg posted a clip from his interview with Chad Simmons. The caption read, “There’s a lot of Ohio State buzz around Xavier Griffin @ChadSimmons_ says Buckeyes made a big move with the 5⭐️ LB from Georgia.” Well, we have seen how Ryan Day’s program never allows itself to dwell long when a top target opts to go elsewhere. They are now geared up to poach Griffin from the Peach State.

The elite linebacker will make his decision on June 29, after he makes his way to Alabama, Texas, and then Florida State. This past weekend (May 31-June 1), Ohio State star assistant and burgeoning star recruiter James Laurinaitis drew major credit from Griffin himself. The 5-star tweeted, “Locked in the whole weekend with one of the best to ever do it at Ohio State @JLaurinaitis55 !! Always love @OhioStateFB @RedElephant_FB @JoshNiblett @bamamade87.” Did he drop more hints?

On June 3, Griffin dropped a cryptic three-word message, accompanied by a video snippet of his visit to Day’s program. It read, “Is Buckeye Nation 🏠???👀@OhioStateFB @RedElephant_FB @JLaurinaitis55 @bamamade87.” The house emoji is the biggest hint here, leaving programs to lose their sleep.

As Simmons stated, “Alabama, he’s from there before moving to Georgia. Has connections there to that state that program they’re still very high on his list. He’ll get back to Tuscaloosa this weekend. Texas a key player in this; they’ll get him on campus June 13th. But coming out of the weekend, Ohio State created a lot of buzz around Xavier Griffin.” That’s when the Texas Longhorns land in the backseat as an Alabama vs. Georgia revenge theory comes up, surrounding Griffin. 

Kalen DeBoer’s redemption plan ft. Xavier Griffin

Alabama linebackers coach Christian Robinson has built a strong relationship with Griffin. To top that, Kalen DeBoer already has an edge. As On3’s Shea Dixon reported, “I think his grandma’s living in Tuscaloosa and he’s got some kind of ties to the area.” Griffin’s grandfather works just down the street from campus. Being a native of Gainesville, Georgia, the 6-foot-3, 200-pounder is likely to be a hot target for Kirby Smart and Co. So one can sense the heat that is building between the two SEC giants. Things are likely to take a vengeful turn. The reason?

DeBoer is still not over the pain that Georgia dished out by snagging 4-star cornerback Justice Fitzpatrick away. Alabama might have thought it to be a done deal for them since Justice is the brother of the Crimson Tide great Minkah Fitzpatrick. Surprisingly, the program was not even a finalist for Justice, who chose the Bulldogs over Florida, Miami (FL), Texas, and Ohio State. While the pain must still be nagging DeBoer in the heart, what better way to send Smart a message than plucking Griffin from right under Smart’s nose?

Last weekend kicked off the summer official visit schedule for Alabama. However, they failed to yield any commitments. So, Kalen DeBoer and Co. will need to make a big push this weekend with five-star Xavier Griffin and Jireh Edwards headlining the group. In case DeBoer needs some motivational juice to sip on, Griffin got him covered. The 5-star confessed in an interview, “I was able to make a dream come true and take my granddaddy to a ‘Bama game this past fall. He has been a Bama fan his whole life and works in Tuscaloosa, but had never been to a game before so I was blessed to bless him.”

Will he seal the deal in Tuscaloosa and give granddad the ultimate Roll Tide moment?