USC Football: Top-Ranked Defensive Lineman Finishes Trojans Recruiting Visit

Will he commit?

Sep 2, 2023; Los Angeles, California, USA; The Southern California Trojans logo at midfield at United Airlines Field at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports / Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

Over this past weekend, one of the best defensive tackles in the nation among his class checked out the USC campus and met with Lincoln Riley and his staffers.

Savannah Christian Prep defensive lineman Elijah Griffin took to his personal X account to share this message about the experience:

Had a great time at @uscfb !! Can’t wait to be back!! @LincolnRiley #fighton ✌🏾 pic.twitter.com/b0u9lYdQNq

— Elijah Griffin (@ElijahGriffin95) June 23, 2024

If one really wanted to read into the post, you could say that the "Can't wait to be back!!" note is an encouraging sign. Then again, even if he doesn't wind up being a Trojan, he could quite possibly find himself in the ever-expanding Big Ten Conference, and thus back with a visiting team. Fans with shrewd eyes will note that, when scrolling Griffin's X account, under his bio he lists himself as a "DT at the University of….," as he awaits his own decision.

Don James of Trojans Wire notes that Griffin, a recent major destination for NCAA football recruiting, is an incredibly appetizing prospect, and could theoretically go a long way towards helping shore up D'Anton Lynn's defense.

“Griffin, from Savannah Christian Prep in Savannah, Ga., is ranked the nation’s best overall prospect as a strongside defensive end by Rivals.com," James writes. "He is also a five-star, top-5 prospect for ESPN (5) and 247Sports (2). The 6-foot-3.5, 270-pound defensive lineman made 82 tackles, 30 tackles for loss, and 14.5 sacks during his sophomore campaign. He had 69 tackles, eight tackles for a loss, five quarterback hurries, and 3.5 sacks as a freshman.”

Last season, Lincoln Riley was compelled to fire his longtime friend and defensive coordinator, Alex Grinch, with two games remaining on the Trojans' slate.

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