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Apr 20, 2024; Tallahassee, Florida, USA; Florida State Seminoles head coach Mike Norvell smiles during the Spring Showcase at Doak S. Campbell Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Melina Myers-Imagn Images Melina Myers-Imagn Images

Five-star recruit locks in official visit to FSU Football shortly after USC decommitment

Originally posted on Florida State Seminoles on SI
By Dustin Lewis | Last updated May 15, 2025 7:30 AM ET

Florida State is still looking for a signature win on the recruiting trail in the 2026 cycle. Entering the midpoint of May, the Seminoles sit outside of the top 20 in the class ranking.

The coaching staff will have a chance to change that this summer following a stacked slate of official visits over the next six weeks. Regardless, they need an elite recruit to build #Tribe26 around and one of their top options is showing mutual interest.

On Wednesday, five-star linebacker Xavier Griffin locked in an official visit to Florida State minutes after backing off his longtime commitment to USC. As it stands, the Seminoles will get the final chance to make an impression on the top prospect from June 15-17.

Griffin will also check out Ohio State, Alabama, and Texas in the near future.

NEWS: Five-Star LB Xavier Griffin has locked in 4 Official Visits

His schedule is as follows:

• Ohio State - May 30
• Alabama - June 6
• Texas - June 13
• Florida State - June 15

The No. 2 LB in the ‘26 Class decommitted from USC moments agohttps://t.co/lpmmbnDvOy pic.twitter.com/wfv44qvzhE
— Hayes Fawcett (@Hayesfawcett3) May 14, 2025

The Georgia native has already been in Tallahassee twice this year. He attended a junior day in January and returned for legacy weekend in March. The Seminoles are in a solid position ahead of his official visit but will have to beat out some heavy hitters for Griffin's services.

Griffin is coming off a junior season at Gainesville High School where he totaled 43 tackles, 13 tackles for loss, six sacks, and a forced fumble. He recorded 6+ tackles in five games, including a season-high eight tackles, three tackles for loss, and two sacks in a loss to Carrollton High School on October 13.

Landing a prospect of Griffin's stature would provide a serious jolt of momentum for Florida State.

The 6-foot-3, 200-pound linebacker is regarded as the No. 8 overall prospect, the No. 1 LB, and the No. 1 recruit in Georgia in the 2026 class according to 247Sports.

Florida State holds nine verbal commitments in its 2026 class which ranks No. 22 in the country. The Seminoles previously landed three-star linebacker Karon Maycock.