Olaijah Griffin decommits from UCLA, says Tennessee is his leader

Mission Viejo’s Olaijah Griffin is one of the best cornerbacks in the country. And now, one SEC school is the leader after his decommitment. Griffin decommitted from the UCLA Bruins on Saturday, and said that the Tennessee Volunteers were his new frontrunner. Jesse Simonton of Rivals reported the news on Saturday evening.

As Simonton mentions, it’s not just a one-horse race. The Oregon Ducks and USC Trojans are also in pursuit of Griffin, but it’s a positive development for new head coach Jeremy Pruitt that the Vols lead the way right now.

Griffin had previously committed to UCLA in July, back when Jim Mora Jr. was still head coach. The Bruins, of course, underwent a coaching change, as Chip Kelly is now the man in charge in Westwood. That development likely had a hand in Griffin’s departure, and now it’s open season. He’s a very sought after prospect, and very highly touted, also.

Griffin ranks 31st overall in the class of 2018. The 6-foot, 170-pound defensive back also ranks fourth at his position. Only five-stars Patrick Surtain Jr., Isaac Taylor-Stuart and Tyson Campbell (all of whom are undecided at the moment) rank higher than Griffin at corner.

In the football-rich state of California, he ranks sixth among all prospects. Amon-Ra St. Brown leads the way, with USC commit/QB JT Daniels, wide receiver Devon Williams, the aforementioned Taylor-Stuart and Florida State Seminoles commit/safeety Jaiden Woodbury rank higher than Griffin. All of whom are five-star players. He’s in good company, to say the least.

Gaining a player of Griffin’s caliber would be a huge coup for Pruitt and the 2018 class, which has taken its fair share of hits over the past few months. A splash like that would certainly boost morale, so let’s see what happens next.