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Georgia freshman Elijah Griffin garners more praise: 'He's an ox'

On3 imageby:Jake Rowe•about 9 hours•

JakeMRowe

Elijah Griffin
Photo: DawgsHQ

ATHENS, Ga. — Georgia held its annual Pro Day event exactly one week ago. Arguably the biggest quote or piece of news to come out of that event had nothing to do with any of the Bulldogs who showcased their skills for NFL talent. It was centered around Warren Brinson‘s comments about Elijah Griffin.

Brinson told reporters in attendance that Griffin is the next Jalen Carter. “That’s it,” he said after making the claim. Brinson had seen one day of Georgia practice that that point.

Fast forward to Tuesday when UGA sent Kirby Smart and seven players to speak with reporters, and Griffin’s name came up again. Redshirt sophomore defensive lineman Jordan Hall was asked about Brinson’s comments and he didn’t push back.

“He reminded me a lot of myself, work ethic-wise, but not when it comes to the weight room,” Hall said after wearing a wide grin during the question. “I was not as strong as he was when I first got here. You can tell why he was a top-five recruit in his class, and he still has a lot more work to do, but at the end of the day, he’s going to be a good one. He’s going to be a good one. You can tell he’s a hard worker and good work ethic. Strong as all get out, you know what I’m saying? He’s an ox, you know what I’m saying? So, he’s a good kid. That takes you a long way.”

It’s not like the comments, from Brinson or Hall, are shocking. They don’t just come out of nowhere. Griffin was a celebrated prospect coming out of the high school ranks. At one point in the process, he was the No. 1 ranked player in the country.

When the dust settled, he was the nation’s No. 3 overall prospect per the On3 Industry Ranking, a weighted average that includes all four websites that publish recruiting rankings. Griffin ranked No. 1 at his position and in the Peach State.

The Savannah native is also just one of two defensive linemen the Bulldogs inked in the class. They had the rugged pulled out from under them on three guys who play that position during December’s Early Signing Period. Griffin is joined by JJ Hanne as newcomers along the defensive line and there’s a long way to go between now and the season opener. To hear Kirby Smart tell it, there’s a long way to go between now and the next practice for the freshmen.

“We’re not in shape,” a visibly frustrated Smart said on Tuesday. “There’s not a guy out there, a freshman, that is sustaining his reps and just flourishing.They’re not used to the tempo of practice, nor should they be. There’s not a high school program in the country that can practice like we do. So the number of reps and the tempo of the reps.”

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