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Alabama football predicted to land arguably the most dynamic defender in the 2026 recruiting class ahead of his decision date

Originally posted on A to Z Sports | By Ryan Roberts | Last updated Jun 27, 2025 4:48 PM ET

With only two days until elite 2026 Gainesville (Ga.) High School linebacker Xavier Griffin makes his college decision, the Georgia native is set to make his decision between Alabama, Georgia, Texas, Ohio State, and Florida State. Griffin has been a massive priority for the Crimson Tide program for some time now.

There have been some predictions made for Griffin in the past, but for the most part, this recruitment has been pretty open. With it being so close to decision day, the later predictions do hold a bit more weight. On3 Alabama football analyst Andrew Bone has made a later prediction for Griffin to land with the Crimson Tide.

: 2026 5 ⭐️ LB Xavier Griffin has been predicted to Alabama by Andrew Bone

The #1 LB in the nation was in Tuscaloosa on June 6-8 for an Official Visit

Griffin will announce his commitment on Sunday, June 29 pic.twitter.com/llqWGqE8fr
— Recruits Bama (@RecruitsBama) June 27, 2025

The 6-3, 200-pound defender is one of the more versatile linebackers in the 2026 recruiting class, and can play multiple positions potentially. As a junior, Griffin was limited to just eight games due to an injury. He still managed to collect 43 total tackles and six sacks. That comes off of a sophomore season where Griffin was able to record 54 total tackles and 15 sacks.

247Sports views Griffin as an elite player in the 2026 class. They have him rated as a five-star recruit, currently sitting as the No. 8 overall player, No. 1 linebacker, and No. 1 player from the state of Georgia. On the 247Sports Composite ranking, Griffin also rates as a five-star player, pegged as the No. 27 overall player and No. 2 linebacker nationally.

Outside of his finalists listed, Griffin has been pursued by a long list of impressive suitors. Some of those top offers include Notre Dame, Michigan, Oregon, Oklahoma, Tennessee, LSU, Ole Miss, Clemson, Auburn, Miami, Florida, Penn State, South Carolina, Kentucky, Nebraska, Texas A&M, and USC among many others.

If you pop on Griffin's film, he is extremely fascinating to watch. While Griffin plays a lot as a traditional linebacker, he also comes off the edge as an outside pass rusher as well. With his frame, explosiveness, and length, there is a chance that Griffin ends up growing into an EDGE defender down the road.

Wherever Griffin does wind up positionally, he has the chance to become a special football player. There are no limitations to how good he can be, whether it is in Tuscaloosa, with the Longhorns, in Athens, or anywhere else.