What 5-Star Recruit Xavier Griffin Said About 'Stellar' USC Trojans, Lincoln Riley

Gainesville (Ga.) five-star linebacker and USC Trojans commit Xavier Griffin has scheduled a return visit to Los Angeles for late April. It will be Griffin's sixth trip to USC as the Trojans push to have him on campus as often as possible.

Nov 30, 2024; Los Angeles, California, USA; Southern California Trojans head coach Lincoln Riley reacts against the Notre Dame Fighting Irish in the second half at United Airlines Field at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images / Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

Gainesville (Ga.) five-star linebacker and USC Trojans commit Xavier Griffin has scheduled a return visit to Los Angeles the weekend of April 26. It will be his sixth trip to USC. 

Griffin is the crown jewel of the Trojans No. 1 ranked recruiting class. He is the No. 8 overall prospect, No. 1 linebacker and No. 1 player in the state of Georgia according to 247Sports. Griffin has been committed to USC since last July. 

Dec 27, 2024; Las Vegas, NV, USA; Southern California Trojans head coach Lincoln Riley reacts against the Texas A&M Aggies in the second half at Allegiant Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images / Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

The goal for USC has been to bring Griffin out to Los Angeles as often as possible until he can officially sign with the program when the early national signing period rolls around in December. Griffin headlined a stacked list of blue-chip recruits that were on campus in early February for the Trojans Junior Day event. His most recent trip to USC gave him the opportunity to be around a brand-new personnel department with general manager Chad Bowden at the head of the table. 

“A lot of excitement and high energy in LA right now!” Griffin told On3. “I believe Coach Riley has put together a stellar coaching staff and we will have a strong recruiting class for 2026. Being able to play for three top NFL coaches excites me the most. Just ready to get in there and learn as much as possible!”

Several USC coaches, including Lincoln Riley, defensive coordinator D’Anton Lynn, linebackers coach Rob Ryan, defensive backs coach Doug Belk and defensive line coach Eric Henderson paid Griffin a visit at his school in late January. Griffin has an official visit scheduled with the Trojans starting June. 20. 

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Griffin has been vocal about his pledge to USC, but that hasn’t stopped many programs from trying to prevent the highly sought-after linebacker from heading out west, including the in-state Georgia Bulldogs. He was at Georgia last weekend with spring ball underway in Athens.  

The top-ranked player in the Peach State has not officially shut down his recruitment, but he also hasn’t scheduled any other official visits. In addition to USC, multiple schools visited Griffin in late January, but Griffin took pictures with those coaching staffs wearing a USC shirt. 

Nov 16, 2024; Los Angeles, California, USA; Southern California Trojans head coach Lincoln Riley watches game action against the Nebraska Cornhuskers during the second half at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images / Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images

The Trojans have been off to a great start in the 2026 cycle, holding 15 commitments, including 10 blue-chip recruits, four or five-star prospects and the No. 1 class according to every recruiting site. While the Trojans have prioritized Southern California, with nine of their commits coming from their backyard, USC continues to expand their recruiting footprint to different parts of the country. 

They hold three commitments from players in the Midwest, including Lincoln-Way East (Ill.) four-star quarterback Jonas Williams, Mount Carmel (Ill.) four-star defensive lineman Braeden Jones and Harvey (Ohio) four-star running back Shahn Alston. The Trojans also picked up a commitment from Corner Canyon (Utah) four-star interior offensive lineman Esun Tafa and Richardson (Texas) four-star defensive lineman Jaimeon Winfield last week. 

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