The Tennessee Vols are working to steal an elite 5-star recruit that's committed to a Big 10 program
The Tennessee Vols are reportedly working to swipe a 2026 five-star recruit from a prominent Big 10 program. According to On3's Chad Simmons, 2026 five-star linebacker Xavier Griffin will take a visit to Tennessee on January 25. Griffin, who is also expected to take a visit to Florida State this month, has been committed to […]
The Tennessee Vols are reportedly working to swipe a 2026 five-star recruit from a prominent Big 10 program.
According to On3's Chad Simmons, 2026 five-star linebacker Xavier Griffin will take a visit to Tennessee on January 25.
Griffin, who is also expected to take a visit to Florida State this month, has been committed to USC since last July.
Griffin, 6-foot-3/200 lbs from Gainesville, GA, is rated by 247Sports as the No. 1 linebacker in the nation and the No. 1 player in the state of Georgia. He's also rated as the No. 8 overall player in the 2026 recruiting class.
(Griffin attends the same high school, Gainesville, as former Volunteers linebacker AJ Johnson.)
Scouting report via 247Sports: Multi-faceted defender with a top-flight testing profile that should offer both on- and off-ball linebacker as he can rush the passer and stack against the run while also dropping back into coverage. Lanky and lean at this stage, but should undergo a major physical transformation in the coming years as he’s on the younger side for the grade and equipped with larger features. Fires out of both a two- and three-point stance in the blink of an eye and will get around obstacles with his slick agility and lateral quickness. Possess true sideline-to-sideline range and will make stops in pursuit with his gap-closing burst. Must keep evolving and developing craft while improving play strength, but projects as a potential impact player in the Big Ten or SEC that can fit into a variety of different schemes with his athletic juice and alignment flex.
The Georgia native visited Tennessee last season for the Vols' win against Kentucky. Griffin also visited Knoxville last spring for an unofficial visit.
Tennessee has some recent experience in flipping a commit from USC — the Vols swiped three-star running back Daune Morris from the Trojans near the end of the 2025 recruiting cycle.
Landing Griffin, however, won't be easy. The coveted recruit says he's solid in his commitment to USC, though his willingness to take additional visits suggests he's at least open to the idea of signing with another program.
Alabama and Georgia also loom as threats to flip Griffin.
How Deion Sanders leaving Colorado for the Dallas Cowboys would create a fascinating scenario for the Tennessee Vols
Could mean a big decision for the Vols
