Georgia football is at an interesting point in the offseason because the only thing that is really taking place is recruiting. And with all of the focus on the 2026 recruiting class, Kirby Smart and his staff are shifting their focus on the recruits who are the most important to them in this cycle.
It just so happens that one of those recruits is the No. 1 player from the state of Georgia. Unfortunately for Georgia, this player has been committed to a different program for six months now, but their pursuit of this player has not stopped according to a recent report from 247Sports.
5-star LB Xavier Griffin
Xavier Griffin is a five-star linebacker from Gainesville, GA. According to 247Sports, Griffin is the No. 8 overall player in the country. He also is the No. 1 linebacker in the country and the top ranked player from his home state of Georgia.
Usually when you see a recruit ranked this high from the state of Georgia you just assume that he is committed to Georgia or is trending that way. That unfortunately is not the case with Griffin. In fact, Griffin has been committed to USC since July of last year.
That fact however is not stopping Smart and his staff from aggressively pursuing Griffin. Georgia has remained in contact with Griffin even since he committed to the Trojans, and the most recent example of that was when Georgia's staff went to watch Griffin's high school basketball game this past weekend, according to a report from 247Sports.
247Sports also reported that Alabama and Tennessee are still pursuing Griffin as well and that the Vols were at this same basketball game too.
This will be a name that Georgia fans will want to watch closely because Griffin is still one of highest priority recruits in the 2026 class for UGA. So hopefully Smart and his staff are able to convince Griffin to flip to Georgia, because Griffin is one of the best players in the country and someone that could make an impact on the field at Georgia the second he steps foot on campus.