He doesn’t turn 18 until October, but Elijah Griffin is wise beyond his years when it comes to the cut throat world of college football recruiting.
Griffin picked up his first offer from Georgia in September of 2020 as an eighth grader at Savannah Christian before he had even played a high school down. Since then, the star defensive lineman has lived up to the hype, and then some, in a stellar career with the Raiders.
Now a senior, the 6-foot-5, 285-pound five-star prospect narrowed his list from 46 offers when he announced his top three of Georgia, USC and Miami in a post on X on Sunday. Griffin is ranked as the No. 1 overall player in Georgia and the eighth best in the nation by 247.com.
As a junior, Griffin racked up 17.5 sacks with 97 tackles and 31 tackles for losses as he helped lead SCPS to the Class 3A state title game, while earning All-Greater Savannah Defensive Player of the Year honors for the second consecutive year. But the media attention and individual accolades haven’t changed his approach.
“When he started playing for us as a freshman, he was 6-foot-3 and 280 pounds, but he was still a 14-year old kid,” Raider coach Baker Woodward said. “He has matured so much as a person, and even though he is getting pulled every which way in the recruiting process, he hasn’t let it go to his head. He’s still a humble, yes sir, no sir type of guy.”
Griffin said his phone has been blowing up for years as college coaches seek his services.
“I think I have about five thousand unread text messages, 146 missed calls and more than ten thousand unread emails on my phone right now,” Griffin said. “But it’s been a blessing for me. It has taught me that I can’t always show my hand when talking with coaches. I’ve tried to stay humble and down to earth. I usually stay off of social media, because I’m not trying to flex ― I’m just trying to play the game I love.”
Griffin said his top three schools have stood out to him for different reasons.
“Georgia offered me when I was in eighth grade and I’ve built a strong relationship with Coach (Kirby) Smart and the staff, and the program has set that winning standard. It’s also one of the best universities in the country. At Miami, they have coaches like Jason Taylor and Joe Salave’a who have experience playing in the league (the NFL), and I like the vision that (head coach) Mario Cristobal has for the program.”
Griffin said he has taken two trips to Southern California to visit USC, and loved the weather, the atmosphere. He also mentioned his connection with his close friend Lorenzo Cowan, the Jenkins graduate now playing for the Trojans as a linebacker.
“USC has Coach Henny (defensive line coach Eric Henderson) who coached the best player in NFL history when he was with the Rams working with Aaron Donald. I think his experience, along with Coach (head coach Lincoln) Riley, speaks volumes.”
Griffin has a close connection with his teammates and plays on a defense that includes senior defensive lineman Logan Brooking (committed to Clemson as a tight end) and highly-regarded sophomore Damion Guyton, who also received an offer from Georgia before playing a high school down.
Guyton, a 6-foot-3, 210-pound edge, now has 19 offers including Florida State, LSU, Oregon and USC. He said his close friend Griffin has a big influence on him, on and off the field.
“He’s taught me to keep the main thing, the main thing ― and that’s working to get better,” Guyton said. “And he’s taught me how to read some coaches. There are some coaches out there trying to sell you a dream, and others that want to help you accomplish your own dreams.”
Griffin said he might make his commitment around his birthday in October, or wait until December to make his decision. For now, he’s focused on his team’s goal of getting back to the state title game.
“We made it to the championship game last year, but didn’t get that ‘W’ like we wanted,” Griffin said. “It’s going to be a challenge, but we’ve never run from competition. We’ve got a lot of talent and want to bring that ring back to Savannah.”
Dennis Knight covers sports for the Savannah Morning News. Contact him at Dknight@savannahnow.com. Twitter:Â @DennisKnightSMN
This article originally appeared on Savannah Morning News: Savannah Christian football star Elijah Griffin on his Final 3 colleges
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