Much has been made about the intense heat coming Georgia’s way during their season opener against Tennessee State on Saturday. Temperatures are expected to eclipse 100 degrees at kickoff, and the temperature on the field could be much higher than that.
Playing a football game in heat like that comes with its challenges, but defensive lineman Elijah Griffin doesn’t sound too concerned.
"Obviously, you've got to hydrate, you've got to eat right, you've got to sleep right,” said Griffin. “We've scrimmaged in it during fall camp. We're ready for it.”
Elijah Griffin believes Georgia is prepared for intense heat coming their way
High heat is what comes with playing football at Georgia, but Saturday could be one of the hottest games in program history. Weather reports are predicting temperatures above 100 degrees at Georgia’s 3:00 pm kickoff, but the players on the field will feel much hotter than that while wearing pads and running up and down the field.
Griffin however feels ready for the elements. He said that Georgia has practiced in similar heat during fall camp and even had a scrimmage with extreme heat like what’s expected. These temperatures won’t be new to them, but maybe they’ll be new to Tennessee State which could give Georgia a small advantage.
In reality Georgia doesn’t need man advantages to beat a team like Tennessee State, but they will take whatever they can get. So maybe instead of being worried about the team who has practiced all fall in weather like this people should be focused on the fans in the stands who typically stay indoors when the heat ramps up this much.
Elijah Griffin’s role could increase after Xzavier McLeod’s departure
Griffin is entering his sophomore season and has always been expected to be a contributor this year. His role however likely expanded after news broke on Monday that fellow defensive lineman Xzavier McLeod is no longer with the program.
McLeod never shared what specifically led to his departure from the program, but in a since deleted social media post he said he was retiring from football. That isn’t very descriptive, but Georgia will have to push on without him.
McLeod started a handful of games for Georgia last season. He more than likely would’ve been a starter this year too, but his departure opens the door for someone like Griffin to step in and play more snaps. There’s even a chance Griffin, who is a former five-star recruit, could start for Georgia this season.
Georgia doesn’t have a lot of time to prepare for life without McLeod since his departure is extremely recent, thankfully their schedule starts light so they can figure out how to play without him on the fly. Griffin should expect to see more snaps as well as a few other defensive linemen, and hopefully they are ready to thrive in their expanded roles beginning on Saturday as Georgia looks to rebound after finishing dead last in the SEC in total sacks in 2025.
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