Former Cincinnati EDGE Tim Griffin Commits To Georgia Tech

The Yellow Jackets land their fourth edge rusher in the transfer portal

Nov 21, 2019; Atlanta, GA, USA; Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets helmet is seen on the sideline in the first half against the North Carolina State Wolfpack at Bobby Dodd Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-Imagn Images | Brett Davis-Imagn Images

Georgia Tech had added its fourth edge rusher in the 2026 transfer portal cycle and this one is a homecoming with former Cincinnati EDGE Tim Griffin coming back where it all started in high school. Girffin starred at Alcovy High School, where he made a name for himself and became a top player in the state. 

He details why he chose the Yellow Jackets and came back home.

"Why Georgia Tech? Because I just like the pain of putting his hand in the ground. They want to use me in both ways as far as the end, and the three-tech goes. Coach Simpson sees me as a three-technique. He talks with me every day about, you know, Chris Jones or whatever. You know, he's a great three-tech. I’m only 18 and 275 pounds and can run. I'm still running with the edges and linebackers. So he loved that. Then you have Coach Pope with the actual ends and also outside linebackers. He sees me using my length with great arm strength, and you know, just send a primary coach," said Griffin.

"Coach Simpson really knows ball.  I didn’t even know until I came on a little visit last week. I didn't know that he was the head coach at Buford for like 12 years. Yeah, he's started coaching at Buford, so I didn't even know that. I looked into the program because they were winning. It's just the basics, and the guys are like colleges back to back. They got multiple guys signed every year. Not just one or two guys. They were producing the Division One talent. Not just the Division One, they just produced some college players. I looked up to that. I didn't even know he had a great hand in that."

Griffin is also excited for his family to come see him play not just his immediate family but his entire family to cheer him on and support his collegiate journey.

"Yeah, that was another big part of it. Not wanting to go too far away because I feel like Georgia is definitely one of the top three for me. This year, everybody's top three of high school football, college football, whatever you want to put it like. UGA is on top here forever, and then Georgia Tech just went to eight overtimes a year ago. So, Georgia football has always been competitive. So I knew I'm going against the best of the best, an iron sharpens iron. So we're all at the top of our game, going hard against each other, we'll be great. We'll go bring a championship to the city. My family will be able to see it, and the whole family, be able to come out, not just my mom and dad. My sisters, like the whole family, the Aunties, all that. the whole family out, celebrate. We are definitely going bring a championship to the city pretty soon," said Griffin.

Here is more on Griffin when I wrote about him earlier in the month. 

“An area where he graded fairly well this season was tackling, according to Pro Football Focus (PFF). Griffin finished with a 73.2 tackling grade on 24 snaps. Most of his snaps came on run defense, with 19 of the 24 coming to stop the run. This is a good sign for Georgia Tech because they struggled mightily with stopping the run a year ago. Teams gashed them consistently on the run, and a lot of issues came from containing their gaps. 

He starred at Alcovy High School in Covington, Georgia, where he made a name for himself and stood out. Coming out of high school, he was rated as a three-star prospect, the No.121 defensive lineman, the No.131 player in Georgia, with an 86 overall rating per 247Sports.” 

You can never have too much pass rush help, and it is always good to add to the position. It is an area the Yellow Jackets have struggled mightily and need more pressure and disruptive plays at the edge rusher position. They now have a mix of veterans and young hungry players that should help get the team to play at a high level in 2026. With Vicent Carroll-Jackson, Noah Carter, Tawfiq Thomas, and now Griffin. They have a solid base to get it done and players who can come in and play at a high level. With Griffin, he has a relentless motor, a quick first step, and a powerful lower body that allows him to get past offensive linemen.

With Jess Simposon and Kyle Pope as his coaches, he should be able to get the most out of his talent and be a key contributor next fall. I think he will have extra motivation with the return home to play in front of his friends and family. This feels like the first time in the Brent Key era that he has legitimate game wreckers and guys on the edge who can make plays consistently and wreck havoc on opposing teams in 2026. They have desperately needed this, and it looks like they finally have it.

Griffin has a message to Georgia Tech faithful and all the fans of the Ramblin Wreck.

“To the Tech fans. I want to say you are getting a Georgia native that knows ball.  Not just a player, just go under and play, but you get a smart player. I've been on the Dean's list since I've been in college, and I've been trying to keep it that way. That went into my decision to pick Ga Tech. They have education. So I would say you are getting a great student. Not only an athlete, but a student athlete and a great person. I love it, man. I'm willing to do anything for the fans, as far as like press conferences, you know, anything involving the fans, because I know that's what the supporters, right or wrong. I mean, we can lose, and I will still hear the fans going crazy or even crazier. I want to rush the field at least once next season