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Nation's No. 1 LB Commits to SEC Powerhouse

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Hunter Hodies | Last updated Jun 29, 2025 5:50 PM ET

The Alabama Crimson Tide got an elite recruit on Sunday.

Five-star linebacker Xavier Griffin announced his commitment to the Tide via On3's Hayes Fawcett. He committed to the Tide over the Texas Longhorns, Ohio State Buckeyes, and Florida State Seminoles.

"TGBTG Roll Tide!!” Griffin told Fawcett.

Griffin joins cornerback Jorden Edmonds as the second five-star recruit in the Tide's 2026 recruiting class. They now have 14 total commits and the eighth-best recruiting class in the country, per 247Sports.

As for Griffin's individual rating, he is the top-ranked recruit in his home state (Georgia) and the top linebacker recruit in the nation, per 247Sports. He is also the eighth-best overall recruit in the country.

The Tide have been on a recruiting heater over the last week and are looking to carry that momentum into July. It's a popular time for players to commit to a school since they have taken a lot of official visits to schools.

Kalen DeBoer is going into his second season as head coach and wants to get the Tide back to competing for national championships. They only won nine games last season after DeBoer took over following Nick Saban's retirement.

The Tide will start the 2025 season on the road against the Florida State Seminoles on August 30. Their first SEC game will follow on September 27 against the Georgia Bulldogs after games against the Louisiana-Monroe Warhawks and the Wisconsin Badgers.

Kickoff for the August 30 game will be at 3:30 p.m. ET.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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