Kirby Smart raves about true freshman defensive lineman who's ready to make an impact

Arguably the most anticipated true freshman for Georgia football this season is defensive lineman Elijah Griffin. Ever since he arrived on campus in the spring, there have been countless reports indicating how impressive he has been this offseason.

The hype surrounding Griffin however has officially hit an all time high after what Kirby Smart said about the highest ranked recruit in Georgia's incoming freshman class.

“Elijah’s been great. He had a great spring. You don’t have to tell him something twice. He’s very consistent."

5-star Elijah Griffin will make an impact this fall

As mentioned, Griffin is the highest ranked commit from Georgia's 2025 recruiting class. According to 247Sports, Griffin was the No. 3 overall player in the country and the top ranked defensive lineman as well. So it isn't surprising at all that expectations are sky high for him this fall even as a true freshman.

Just because a recruit is ranked extremely high though does not guarantee they will be a superstar their first year in college football. There have been countless examples at Georgia and elsewhere throughout the country where elite recruits need some more time to get their feet underneath them.

According to Smart though, that has not been the case with Griffin.

Every year there are a few true freshman who stand out at Georgia and make a huge impact on the team. It's unclear who those players will be this season, bur Griffin is the most likely candidate. This is true not only because he is one of the more talented players in Georgia's freshman class but because there is a lot of playing time available on the defensive line after key departures to the NFL and Transfer Portal this offseason.

So out of all the freshman who are now at Georgia, Griffin is the one that UGA fans should be excited about the most because there is a very real possibility that he is one of the Bulldogs who racks up the most sacks this season.