Griffin wrote: “I’ve decided to take my talents to the west coast and officially commit to University of Oregon.”
Offensive lineman Zach Okun and tight end Jake Breeland previously gave non-binding verbal commitments to UO, but neither carry the fanfare of the 5-foot-10, 180-pound Griffin. Out of McEachern High School in Powder Springs, Ga., Griffin is ranked the 78th-best player in the country by Rivals and No. 2 among running backs. Another rating, by 247Sports, lists him as the nation’s top “all purpose back” and No. 29 overall.
“This is a kid that had all those Alabama, Florida, SEC major offers,” said Justin Hopkins, a recruiting analyst for 247Sports. “This is a statement for Oregon reaching in there and grabbing such a highly talented player. The offense is clearly attractive.”
After Oregon head coach Mark Helfrich visited Griffin in January — running backs coach Gary Campbell was the primary recruiter who built the relationship, Hopkins said — Griffin returned the favor and took an unofficial visit to Oregon in mid-March.
“I really liked it and enjoyed it,” Griffin told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution after the visit. “Great facilities, great staff, great atmosphere.”
If his commitment sticks through signing day in 10 months it would mark another recruit UO has plucked out of the southeast in recent years. Oregon’s most recent inroads into Southeastern Conference country came in February, when running back Tony James and receiver Charles Nelson each signed National Letters of Intent with the Ducks.
Along with Oregon, Griffin held scholarship offers from USC, Clemson, Ohio State, Florida State, Alabama and Georgia, among others.
“They made Taj one of their top priorities in this class,” Hopkins said. “It was one of the first stops (Helfrich) made when he could go visit recruits and it was a recruit in the next class when it was still 2014. To me it was clear they valued getting someone like this, a De’Anthony Thomas replacement, and he is that. He’s a threat with his hands and can rip off a touchdown from anywhere.”
In February, Griffin told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution that he wanted to commit to a school “where I feel my talent can be best used,” and that factor may have counted out Georgia. Despite the Bulldogs’ in-state appeal, their 2014 signings of elite running backs Nick Chubb and Sony Michel made Griffin look elsewhere for earlier playing time prospects.
“I feel like that would mess it up to play early,” Griffin said of Georgia’s already loaded backfield. In the same interview, he said he’d recently run a 40-yard dash in 4.38 seconds.
Should Griffin sign with the Ducks next February, Oregon’s own backfield could be ripe with talent if Byron Marshall, Thomas Tyner, Royce Freeman and James remain on the team as projected.
Comments are closed.