Alabama’s 2026 signee, 5-star LB Xavier Griffin, arrived in Tuscaloosa with comparisons to an Eagles player, but with a very clear question: Is he big enough? The 6-foot-3, 200-pounder boasts a light frame for the rugged wolf linebacker role in the program. However, according to his mother’s latest announcement, Griffin appears to have put on a considerable amount of weight.

On Sunday, Crimson Coverage shared an update from Griffin’s mother, Jay Clay, revealing that the freshman LB has gained 18 pounds, going from 200 to 218, a month after he joined Alabama. It indicates how much the Gainesville native has striven to shine at Alabama.

Xavier Griffin may have made his physical transformation at the right time. The ‘wolf’ lives on the edge of the defensive front, so they go head-to-head with tackles and tight ends at the line of scrimmage, and Griffin is expected to play at that position in the upcoming season in Alabama’s “Swarm D” defensive scheme. That’s considering his elite pass-rushing ability.

To compete at the wolf position, Griffin needs to approach the size of his predecessors. Yhonzae Pierre, who held the spot in 2025, played at a stout 248 pounds, while rotational players like Justin Hill were also in the 240s. Griffin’s weight gain is the first step toward matching that physicality. Beyond these two were Noah Carter and Qua Russaw; both played well in 2025 at the position in rotation.

In this case, his potential speaks volumes. He racked up 190 total tackles and 25 sacks over his high school career. More importantly, one of the nation’s top LBs in the 2026 class, Griffin, is considered a hybrid LB, so he has an opportunity to play inside LB as well. Griffin’s development isn’t just turning heads in the locker room; it’s already drawing comparisons to a recent Crimson Tide star who made it to the NFL.

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Alabama’s 2026 5-star LB has NFL-level potential

Griffin is a five-star prospect and the No. 1 LB in the 2026 class. The freshman LB seems to have followed the same path as Jihaad Campbell, who penned a $14.9 million contract with the Eagles not too long ago, once walked in Tuscaloosa before becoming a first-round pick of the Eagles in the 2025 NFL Draft. Probably, that’s why head coach Kalen DeBoer admitted it in December 2025.

“X [Xavier Griffin] is a guy who’s a flex guy. I really see him as like a Jihaad Campbell,” said DeBoer. “He’s got some length, and he’s gonna out on some good weight, and be versatile enough to go play on the edge and not have to necessarily sub in when you want to put him in spots to go get after the quarterback. Can’t wait to have our defensive staff get their hands on him and let him go to work.”

With gaining weight now, Griffin seems on the way to becoming a “carbon copy” of the former Tide star. Even the athletic data lines up. Both are wiry, off-ball LBs who fly sideline to sideline. More importantly, Campbell set the bar in Tuscaloosa, recording 186 tackles and 5.5 sacks over three seasons. Now, if Griffin can reach that same level, the comparison will be justified.