The Tank Jones decision could be career-altering for another Alabama 5-star

For the second-straight year, Dan Lanning has come into the state of Alabama and plucked the top recruit out for his Ducks. Tank Jones’s commitment to Oregon, which he announced Thursday afternoon on the Pat McAfee show, is a significant (though potentially impermanent) blow to Kalen DeBoer’s second full recruiting class in Tuscaloosa. 

The five-star edge rusher’s decision could also be career-altering for another 2026 five-star, Alabama commit Xavier Griffin. 

Alabama’s plan for five-star commit Xavier Griffin

Upon his eventual arrival in Tuscaloosa, Griffin, the 17th-ranked recruit in the country according to 247Sports Composite Rankings, is expected to play both edge rusher and off-ball linebacker. The 6-foot-3, 200-pound rising high school senior’s official listing varies from recruiting service to recruiting service, but the Tide expects to use him in both roles. 

Following his commitment, Griffin spoke about how Alabama’s clear plan for his development and usage was one of the things that attracted him to the Tide. However, without Jones, defensive coordinator Kane Wommack could be enticed to give Griffin more substantial reps on the edge early in his career. 

Edge rusher is the more valuable of the two positions, so though the Tide have a veteran linebacker group that they’ll need to replace in the coming seasons, and are bringing in three other edge rushers in their 21-player 2026 recruiting class, Griffin’s talents could be best utilized as a primary pass-rusher. And this program’s recent track record could give them confidence in a position change. 

Jihaad Campebell arrived in Tuscaloosa as a five-star edge rusher, but quickly transitioned to off-ball linebacker because of a logjam of talent at defensive end. Campbell’s move to linebacker began under the previous regime, but was cemented last season as Campbell led Wommack’s defense in tackles, and he became a first-round pick in the 2025 NFL Draft. 

Despite the position change, Campbell still played 112 snaps on the edge last season and finished with 20 QB pressures and five sacks. Alabama could flip that blueprint for Griffin if the staff is unable to develop the other incoming edges into impact pass-rushers and views him as their best option to disrupt opposing quarterbacks in the coming years. 

The most likely outcome is that Griffin continues on his trajectory toward becoming a hybrid linebacker with the versatility to play both positions. That was the plan before Tank Jones chose Oregon over Alabama, and it may not change. Still, every win and loss on the battlefield of high school recruiting has ripple effects, and this could be one of them.