Georgia Tech Set To Host Former Cincinnati Bearcat EDGE Rusher Tim Griffin

Georgia Tech is set to host defensive lineman Tim Griffin. Georgia Tech hasn’t landed an edge rusher yet in this portal cycle and is looking to land one soon.

Cincinnati DL transfer Tim Griffin is visiting Georgia Tech, his reps@AlignNIL tell @PeteNakos. https://t.co/kSYG7dZ8sR
— Transfer Portal (@TransferPortal) January 8, 2026

Griffin didn’t play a lot in his freshman season with the Bearcats and had more of a reserve role. However, when he was in, he did a good job in run defense and containing his gaps.

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.

Here is more per his Cincinnati bio

“A four-star recruit and the nation’s No. 21 defensive end prospect per Rivals...Had 25 total tackles, including five for loss, as a senior...Ranked among Georgia’s Top 100 prospects by ESPN and Rivals...Earned first-team all-region honors this past season...Picked Cincinnati over Alabama, Florida State and Ole Miss, among several offers.”

Why this move could make sense for Georgia Tech?

latest — Nov 22, 2025; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets head coach Brent Key calls a timeout against the Pittsburgh Panthers in the second quarter at Bobby Dodd Stadium at Hyundai Field. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-Imagn Images | Brett Davis-Imagn Images

To be quite frank, Georgia Tech needs pass rush help and someone who can get to the quarterback. Griffin would help them out a ton in run defense and being disciplined. So he does solve that problem. Griffin is also very young and has plenty of time to grow and develop at the edge position and make a difference next year. He will likely be a rotational player in year one with Georgia Tech. However, the Yellow Jackets would get a highly motivated player and one who would enjoy coming back to his home state and putting on a show for his friends and family. It was a big part of what Georgia Tech did in the previous transfer portal cycle and could do it again in 2026. While it is just a visit, if things go well, the Yellow Jackets could add their eighth player from out of the transfer portal.

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•Georgia Tech Will Reportedly Get A Visit From Former FSU Offensive Lineman Lucas Simmons