Kirby Smart reveals why Georgia Bulldogs 5-star freshman Elijah Griffin stands out among the rest

The Georgia Bulldogs' defensive line will have a new look this fall, with a handful of key players off to the NFL. 

Among the fresh talent is five-star defensive tackle Elijah Griffin, who is already making a strong impression.

“Elijah’s been great,” Georgia head coach Kirby Smart told reporters during SEC Media Days in Atlanta last week. “He had a great spring. You don’t have to tell him something twice. He’s very consistent. He’s a great kid.”

According to mulitple reports, Griffin had an outstanding spring and wrapped it up by turning heads at G-Day. 

Griffin, a 6-foot-5, 285-pound defensive lineman from Pooler, Georgia ranked as the nation’s No. 1 player at his position and the No. 4 overall prospect across all positions in the class of 2025, according to 247Sports.com. Heading into his senior year, Griffin had 46 scholarship offers from elite programs nationwide, including Alabama, Michigan, Ohio State, and Oregon, so when the Dawgs were able to lock him in, it was easy to see why fans were so stoked. 

Griffin finished his final year at Savannah Christian Prep, racking up 53 tackles (40 solo, 13 assists), 27 tackles for loss, and 8.5 sacks in nine games. He was also named to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution Super 11 Team.

The hope now is that Grifffin can contribute for the Bulldogs immediately this upcoming fall, especially after they lost Jalon Walker and Mykel Williams to the first round of the draft, though by the looks of it, there is nothing to worry about. 

Smart also provided reporters with updates on the rest of the defensive line, emphasizing the group's youth and inexperience.

“It’s not an old defensive line group,” Smart said. “It’s just different. 54% are in their first or second year. Christen (Miller) has played meaningful snaps. When he’s healthy he’s really good. Jordan Hall is still coming back. He wasn’t 100% this spring. I feel good about the defensive line. There’s just so many snaps lost.

“...I’ve really been impressed with Nnamdi [Ogboko] and Jordan [Thomas] and Nas [Johnson]. They're working their tail off to get better," Smart said They're buying in. They've seen what Trey has done with guys in their second year, with guys in their third year, and then guys in their fourth year really do well here. So, they're buying into that.”