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Eli Lederman
Alabama’s 2026 recruiting class landed one other vital late-June recruiting enhance Saturday when four-star defender Xavier Griffin, ESPN’s No. 3 exterior linebacker, introduced his dedication to the Crimson Tide over Florida State, Ohio State and Texas.
Griffin, a flexible, 6-foot-4, 205-pound prospect from Gainesville, Georgia, is the No. 30 total recruit within the 2026 ESPN 300. A former longtime USC commit, Griffin took official visits with every of his finalists in June. He now stands because the top-ranked prospect amongst 14 commits in Alabama’s incoming class, becoming a member of days after this system secured high 300 pledges from operating again Ezavier Crowell (No. 31 total) and tight finish Mack Sutter (No. 138) on Thursday night time.
Griffin advised ESPN that the Crimson Tide’s pedigree and imaginative and prescient laid out by Alabama coach Kalen DeBoer and out of doors linebackers coach Christian Robinson had been driving elements in his resolution.
“Rising up, simply seeing them, all of the draft picks and stuff that they’ve had — all the fellows they’ve put within the league — it speaks for itself,” Griffin mentioned. “They’ve historical past and so they’re actually clear about what they’re attempting to construct with this new employees.”
A bodily defender able to dropping into protection, Griffin has cemented his standing as one the nation’s high linebackers at Gainesville (Georgia) Excessive College, the place he is recorded 97 whole tackles and 21 sacks throughout his sophomore and junior seasons.
He initially dedicated to USC final July and remained one of many Trojans’ high prospects over subsequent 10 months earlier than Griffin pulled his pledge from this system on Might 14. Sources advised ESPN on the time that Griffin’s decommitment stemmed from his intention to schedule official visits with applications this spring, bucking in opposition to USC’s coverage in opposition to dedicated gamers taking official journeys to different campuses.
Upon reopening his recruitment, Griffin locked in official visits with Alabama, Florida State, Ohio State and Texas for this month, closing with a visit to the Crimson Tide from June 20-22. Regardless of his prolonged USC pledge, Griffin advised ESPN that no program recruited him extra actively than Alabama throughout the previous two years, led by Robinson, this system’s second-year assistant.
“He is been probably the most per me all through my complete course of,” Griffin mentioned. “He is only a actually, actually good man.”
The best-ranked of seven ESPN 300 pledges certain for Alabama in 2026, Griffin now leads an more and more gifted Crimson Tide defensive class forming within the present cycle.
Alongside Griffin, Alabama holds commitments from top-10 cornerbacks Jorden Edmonds (No. 38 total) and Zyan Gibson (No. 65) in 2026. Defensive finish Jamarion Matthews, Griffin’s teammate at Gainesville Excessive College and ESPN’s No. 92 total recruit, has been pledged to the Crimson Tide since February, and Alabama’s X platform defensive class might get even deeper over the subsequent month as precedence targets together with top-60 prospects Jireh Edwards, Anthony Jones and Nolan Wilson strategy the ultimate levels of their recruiting processes.