Commitments are great, but in this day and age of recruiting, things don't ever really feel official until the early signing period in December. Alabama has one of the elite classes in the 2026 cycle with five 5-stars committed. The sharks will continue to circle, however, as programs continue to pursue and try to flip those highly rated Tide commits.
One of those 5-stars ended any potential concerns of a future flip on Thursday night by announcing via his X account that he was shutting down his recruitment and was 100% locked in with Kalen DeBoer and Alabama.
Gainesville, Georgia's Xavier Griffin joined Alabama's class on June 29th. Alabama emerged as the favorite in his recruitment after he decommitted from USC, but faced furious challenges from the likes of Texas and Ohio State. In the end, his relationship with Tide OLB coach Christian Robinson won the day. Now, he's locked in and ready to get to work:
100% locked in 🔒 @crob45 @JoshNiblett @bamamade87 @AlabamaFTBL @yea_ala pic.twitter.com/ttGxaLB9jX
— Xavier Griffin (@zay_social) July 25, 2025
5-star LB Xavier Griffin is locked in with Alabama
Griffin is a consensus 5-star recruit and the No. 17 overall player in the 247 composite. 247 Sports rates him as the No. 1 LB and the No. 8 overall player in the country.
247 compares Griffin to former Alabama LB Jihaad Campbell, who was taken in the first round of the 2025 NFL Draft by the Philadelphia Eagles. Defensive coordinator Kane Wommack figures to use Griffin in a similar fashion. He might start as a "Wolf" LB on the outside, but will likely play both inside and out in the Crimson Tide's defense.
Griffin could get an early look at inside linebacker with the Crimson Tide, as Alabama will have playing time available in 2026. It won't be easy to crack the rotation as a freshman, but Alabama will be replacing its top three inside linebackers after this season. Deontae Lawson, Justin Jefferson, and Colorado transfer Nikhai Hill-Green are all entering their final season of eligibility in Tuscaloosa.
Griffin grew up a fan of Alabama, and that childhood fandom played a large role in Alabama's ability to land him. His mother recently set the record straight on his recruitment via X, bashing those who believe Nick Saban - and not DeBoer - is responsible for the Crimson Tide's monster summer recruiting run.
Griffin is the highest-ranked player in Alabama's class in the composite, but is one of a ridiculous five 5-stars. DeBoer and staff are aggressively pursuing a sixth with 5-star Edge Anthony 'Tank' Jones.