Alabama lands commitment from elite 2026 5-star linebacker
For the second time this recruiting cycle, the Alabama Crimson Tide have dipped into the state of Georgia to land a five-star prospect.
Yes, on Sunday afternoon, Alabama officially secured a significant commitment from one of the peach state's top overall prospects, regardless of position, in highly-touted 2026 linebacker Xavier Griffin.
Griffin had previously been predicted by On3 recruiting analyst Steve Wiltfong to eventually commit to Alabama back in May, and chose the Crimson Tide over a list of three additional finalists that included Florida State, Ohio State, and Texas.
According to the 247Sports Composite recruiting rankings, Griffin is currently considered as the nation's No. 27 overall prospect, as well as the No. 2 linebacker nationally. Rated as a five-star prospect, Griffin is also considered the No. 4 player in the state of Georgia where he attends Gainesville High School, the same program as fellow Alabama commit Jamarion Matthews.
Griffin is also a former USC commit who was a pledge to the Trojans from July 2024 to May 2025.
Following the commitment of Griffin, Alabama now has two five-star prospects currently committed in the 2026 cycle, as well as 14 commits overall. The second of those two also comes from the state of Georgia in five-star cornerback Jorden Edmonds.
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