Five-star recruit Elijah Griffin on Savannah Christian football's chance for epic season

Savannah Christian's Elijah Griffin is one of the most sought after high school football players in the country. The 6-foot-6, 285-pound defensive lineman is the consensus No. 2 rated prospect among all positions in his junior class.

The mild-mannered 5-star recruit received his first offer from Georgia football as an eighth grader, but he hasn't let all the attention get to his head as he remains grounded with a down-to-earth personality, despite receiving up to 300 text messages a day from college coaches seeking his services.

But Griffin isn't the only SCPS player whose phone is constantly blowing up. Senior linebacker/receiver David Bucey announced his commitment to South Carolina in June, while junior tight end/defensive lineman Logan Brooking's offer sheet lists over 30 schools, including some of the top programs in the country. Freshman defensive end Damion Guyton is following in Griffin's footsteps with an offer from UGA before he has taken a high school snap.

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"I wouldn't say I'm a veteran when it comes to all the recruiting, I'm still getting used to it at the end of the day," said Griffin, who was named the All-Greater Savannah Defensive Player of the Year last season when he had had 14.5 sacks with 82 tackles, including 30 for losses. "I've been doing it a while, so I can handle it better now, but it's still a lot.

"Our defense is very special, we can do some big things and take it all the way as a team this season," he said. "It makes it easier playing with guys that are the same caliber and have the same goals in mind — we want to win every game."

SCPS Coach Baker Woodward enters his sixth season with a 45-16 record at SCPS, he led the team to the Class A Private semis in 2018. He said working with Griffin is a coach's dream.

"Elijah is a great player, but he's also such a great kid," Woodward said. "He doesn't say much, but he's a yes sir, no sir type of guy who is always going to do what you ask of him with a smile on his face. He also gets the job done in the classroom. He's a pleasure to coach and I'm glad we don't have to play against him."

Last season, Savannah Christian went 11-2. The Raiders regular-season loss came in a hard-fought 34-28 setback at Calvary Day, and the Raiders impressed in the playoffs with a 23-7 second-round road win over Peach County before losing to eventual Class 3A state champion Sandy Creek at home in the quarterfinals.

The SCPS defense allowed 14.6 points per game with Griffin, Bucey and Brooking all earning first-team All-Greater Savannah honors. The unit also returns junior linebacker Jaden Miles (101 tackles) and strong safety Noah Stone, along with Jamari McIvory, the speedster who won state titles in the 200 and 400 meters last year, at free safety and Kenry Wall at corner.

The biggest loss came at quarterback with the graduation of standout Paulus Zittrauer, who had over 2,000 yards passing and rushing, with 26 combined touchdowns. He's now playing at Franklin & Marshall College.

Sophomore Blaise Thomas is set to step in as the starting quarterback after an impressive run with the junior varsity last season, and Bucey, who led the team in receiving last year, could also get some snaps behind center.

But the offense has plenty of firepower returning led by junior running back Zo Smalls, another All-Greater Savannah first team pick who ran for 1,408 yards last season with 22 total touchdowns. Wall had 11 total touchdowns and nearly 1,000 yards of all-purpose yardage despite missing four games with a broken wrist.

Noah Lewis and Tyson Gross are returning starters on the offensive line, which features sophomore J.T. Howell (6-1, 290 pounds). Freshman Jordan Dillon (6-3, 300 pounds) is also expected to be in the rotation of starters with that unit.

Woodward said he is fired up about leading such a balanced and talented team, and he and the coaching staff are trying to keep everyone on the same page.

"We tell them that this team hasn't won a single game yet, and we need to be focused on every single practice and staying healthy," Woodward said. "Our message is that the trophy that's on your shelf isn't going to win tomorrow's game. We're going to make sure we don't become apathetic or complacent and attack each day."

Dennis Knight covers sports for the Savannah Morning News. Contact him at Dknight@savannahnow.com. Twitter: @DennisKnightSMN

This article originally appeared on Savannah Morning News: Elijah Griffin and Savannah Christian primed for a season to remember