As a College Recruit
Highly athletic, disruptive defensive lineman who looks like the top prospect along the defensive front entering his senior season. One of the top defensive line prospects in several cycles. Measured at 6-foot-4, 300 pounds with 34.5-inch arms and 10-inch hands prior to his senior season. Has continued adding mass and strength. Flies off the snap and darts into the backfield to create disruption with regularity. A very loose and fluid athlete, particularly at his size. Plays with outstanding leverage and body lean. Shows advanced hands at the point of attack and quickly neutralizes offensive linemen. Darts into the backfield to make plays behind the line of scrimmage at a high clip. Consistently wins in a phone booth with his combination of length, strength and first-step quickness. Has the speed in pursuit to track down running backs from the back side. Posted phenomenal production throughout his high school career, with 182 tackles, 61 tackles for loss and 35.5 sacks as a sophomore and junior. Shows his functional strength and short area explosion in track and field, where he’s posted a 52-2 foot throw in the shot put. Posts eye-popping numbers in the weight room, with a 405 pound bench press, 550+ pound squat and 315 pound clean prior to his junior season. Projects as a top defensive lineman with the ability to line up and disrupt from multiple spots on a defensive front.
Reminds Us Of
Elijah Griffin's combination of length, play strength, understanding of leverage and high level of production at the high school level reminds us of Derrick Brown. Griffin is a measurably better athlete than Brown at the same stage.