Tuscaloosa is going to be packed with elite Alabama football prospects next weekend. Could this lead to a 5-star prospect eventually shutting down his recruitment and announcing he'll be playing his college ball for head man Kalen DeBoer?
That's the hope when it comes to linebacker Xavier Griffin, as the 6-3, 200-pounder will be packing his bags and heading to Alabama for what could prove to be a life-changing official visit on June 6. Griffin was previously committed to USC, but the two sides decided to part ways.
Ever since Griffin's recruitment opened back up, the Tide have been considered a serious player to potentially land his verbal. That buzz is only growing now that On3's Steve Wiltfong has put in his official prediction for Griffin to pick Alabama when he announces things on June 29:
Alabama appears to be in the driver's seat for 5-star LB Xavier Griffin
This of course isn't going to be easy for DeBoer and his coaches, as the elite 'backer prospect is also going to be taking officials to meet with Ohio State, Texas and Florida State. Those three other programs are going to do whatever is needed to land his pledge too.
However, DeBoer and Co. have been putting in serious work on Griffin, especially since he made it clear he's no longer USC-bound. According to 247Sports, Griffin is ranked five stars, the No. 1 linebacker in the country, No. 1 prospect from Georgia and No. 8 prospect nationally.
It's a bit of a stunner that Kirby Smart and the Georgia Bulldogs aren't considered a favorite for Griffin at this point. He's a stud playmaker for Gainesville High in Georgia, which is about an hour away from Athens. With him being so close to UGA's campus, you'd think Smart would be working overtime to keep him close to home.
Can you imagine if Griffin does end up committing to the Tide? Georgia fans wouldn't like seeing that, especially with the playmaker being so highly ranked. DeBoer is hoping to make a recruiting splash here and thanks to the new update from Wiltfong, it sure looks like he's in pretty great shape to get things done.