This Sentell’s Intel rep on Georgia football recruiting has the latest with 4-star LB Xavier Griffin. He ranks as the nation’s No. 7 LB and the No. 77 overall prospect for 2025 for the On3 Industry Ranking. He does not yet have a ranking from 247Sports.
Xavier Griffin might need to spend some time looking straight ahead. Focused on his goals.
That’s the best way for him to handle the massive recruiting attention coming his way. He’s rated as a 4-star by On3.com and Rivals. But plenty more are on their way. That would include a fifth star from both On3 and Rivals.
It is only a matter of time. Or better yet just getting a good evaluation. After watching his sophomore film and seeing his live twice in the last month, he’s already one of the 20 best prospects in the state of Georgia at any grade level. Easy.
“I like to play with an edge,” he said. “To go out there and prove myself. To play fast with a lot of speed.”
The 6-foot-4, 210-pound rising junior is perhaps even already among the top 10. He has offers from Alabama, Georgia and Ohio State, among others. According to MaxPreps, he also showed why last fall with 54 tackles, 23 tackles for losses, 15 sacks and two forced fumbles.
“I just love the physicality of football,” he said. “Just love getting out there and getting to hit somebody.”
Check out the film. Pay close attention to that burst and how he eats up grass in 10-yard tracts.
The first play on his tape might be his beat. It came on third down in the GHSA state playoffs against a Woodward Academy team that ended Gainesville’s season. He had two sacks in that game.
Gainesville High School coach Josh Niblett has already seen plenty.
“The neat thing about him is she’s kind of a little bit over everything,” he said. “I’ve spoken to a lot of [college] coaches about him and the thing that everybody likes about him is he can play at the second level. He can play on the first level. He can help you on first and second down and earn the right to rush the passer on third down.”
If you watched him last season, he’d be in the box at inside ‘backer on first and second down. Then he’d line up on the outside for third down.
“He’s such a long kid and has length and got unbelievable speed and closing speed,’ Niblett said, “The thing about it is he’s still got a high ceiling. That’s what is neat about him. He’s a special kid. An unbelievable kid with high character. He works extremely hard as a team player. He’s kind of all business.”
The veteran coach won seven (!) state titles in Alabama before making his way over to Georgia for the 2022 season. He is the active leader among coaches in the state of Georgia when it comes to state championships.
“From a football skills perspective, you just don’t get to coach a lot of kids that have all those different attributes that they can bring to the table on the defensive side of the ball,” Niblett said.
Niblett used the word “special” when it comes to Griffin. That’s coming from a scouting eye that’s sent dozens of players to the SEC and coaches in the Under Armour All-American Bowl every January.
Great on run fits. Great off the EDGE. That’s quite a combo.
“When you’re able to do that guys make themselves special because of the value you add to every down,” Niblett said.
The Alabama native grew up in Huntsville. Everyone around the Red Elephants calls him “X.” That’s a nod to the first initial of his first name. But it also works because the young man is an absolute “X” factor in every defensive game plan.
“From an offensive perspective, you’re looking at players,” Niblett said. “You’re looking at ‘Hey, who’s a problem?’ He’s a problem. You better know where he’s at and when he’s on the second level that is totally different than when he’s on the first level. When he’s on the first level, he’s totally different than what he does when he’s lined up on the second level.”
It is the length plus the athleticism. That equates to those matchup problems. The “X” factor here with all of that is his burst.
Niblett compared it to a former 5-star he coached at Hoover High in Alabama 11 years ago. That was 5-star corner Marlon Humphrey. Humphrey is now a three-time Pro Bowl cornerback for the Baltimore Ravens.
“His closing speed is some of the best,” Niblett said. “I’ll tell you who he reminds me of closing-speed wise. A lot like Marlon. Just from that perspective of he’s in space and can close on stuff. I can go in there right now and show you five or six plays on the film of him closing from the backside or closing from the front side.”
Effortless.
Special.
Those are big words. But they fit here the way Griffin takes care of those run fits.
Niblett also knows Griffin has another level to his game. He’s going to get better and bigger and faster and stronger.
“What’s great about him also is the way he plays the game,” Niblett said. “He plays it so fast. You don’t see him get tired. If a play needs to be made, he’s going to make it.”
Stack guy on first and second down. Then totally different responsibilities on third down. It takes a keen football mind to be able to handle that. Griffin can do all that.
Starks was also an All-Region level basketball player for Gainesville High. He scored 34 points in a game this year and was a member of the All-Region defensive team.
“He’s just a really really good dude, man,” Niblett said. “And he gets it and he plays the game at a high level.”
Could he one day do it for the Georgia Bulldogs? Well, he does have a relative who is on the team. That just so happens to be All-American safety Malaki Starks.
Xavier Griffin: How does the Gainesville LB feel about Georgia football?
Starks is related to Griffin on his mother’s side. Tisha Starks, his mother, said that his grandfather is her uncle. Griffin wasn’t sure. He just knew they were related but wasn’t sure how.
“X” pours so much of himself into the game because of his mother Jay Clay.
“Just pushing for my Mom,” Griffin said. “She’s struggled and sacrificed for me a lot. So I just keep pushing for her. She’s always been there for me when nobody else was. So I will always keep pushing for her.”
The NFL is the dream. He knows college football is the way station to get there. What is he looking for in the perfect school?
“I would say the relationships with the coaches,” he said. “But nowadays everybody is leaving. So it is kind of hard to base it off that. But I’m looking for one that has a good history in the program. They are putting guys in the NFL.”
He wants to find a home where the head coach and defensive coach and maybe even the linebackers coach are likely to stick around for a while. Or at least maybe the head coach.
How does he feel about the ‘Dawgs?
“I really like Georgia,” Griffin said. “I have good vibes with all the coaches. Athens kind of felt like home.”
What stood out the most?
“I would say that all of the coaches it felt like they were all working as one,” he said. “They’ve all been there so long since Kirby [Smart] got there so it is like they have a new coach here and they just got a new guy there. They’ve all been there.”
Alabama recently offered. He mentioned Clemson, Florida State and Ohio State as other schools that currently have his attention in his recruiting process.
Check out the “DawgNation Conversation” with Griffin below.
SENTELL'S INTEL
(check on the recent reads on Georgia football recruiting)
