Elijah Griffin’s Freshman Year at Georgia Was a Test of Fire - And He’s Just Getting Started
Every Georgia Bulldog has that “Welcome to Athens” moment - the play in practice when they realize they’re not in high school anymore. For Elijah Griffin, it came courtesy of a veteran offensive lineman with a full head of steam and no intention of going easy on the five-star freshman.
Griffin, one of the most heralded recruits in Georgia’s 2025 class, was working through a rep in fall camp when he got caught peeking the wrong way. One of the offensive tackles slipped past him, and before he could reset his eyes, Micah Morris came pulling across the line and delivered a hit that Griffin won’t soon forget.
“I see him coming down the line, and it was too late,” Griffin said. “He obliterated me, I'm not going to lie.”
It was a humbling moment, but also a turning point. Because from that point on, Griffin didn’t just survive his freshman season - he earned his place on one of the deepest defensive lines in the country.
Griffin arrived in Athens with sky-high expectations, and he didn’t waste time getting to work. Enrolling early in January 2025, he threw himself into Georgia’s offseason program.
Leaving home wasn’t easy, but Griffin quickly found rhythm in the daily grind - wake up, eat, lift, repeat. That routine laid the foundation for a freshman campaign that showcased both his raw talent and his ability to grow under pressure.
By the time the season kicked off, Griffin wasn’t just rotating in - he was making an impact. He appeared in all 14 games for the Bulldogs, recording tackles in all but two and showing flashes of the disruptive force Georgia fans had hoped for. And he did it while gutting through an ankle injury he suffered in Week 2, which he said didn’t fully heal until the Florida game in Week 10.
Still, the numbers speak for themselves: 22 total tackles, 2.5 tackles for loss, a sack, and a forced fumble. He logged multiple tackles in seven games, notched his first career sack against Charlotte, and capped off the year with a season-high four tackles in the Sugar Bowl. His performance earned him Freshman All-SEC honors and a spot on multiple Freshman All-America teams, including nods from 247Sports, On3, The Athletic, and Pro Football Focus.
But beyond the stats, Griffin’s growth was evident in how he carried himself. Early in the season, he admitted he was still figuring things out.
“I definitely think there’s been tremendous growth,” he said during Sugar Bowl Media Day. “Early on, I wasn’t as confident.
I didn’t really know much. I was playing fearful.
But now I can just let it rip, you know?”
That confidence didn’t go unnoticed. Head coach Kirby Smart praised Griffin’s development, especially his ability to settle in and play more instinctively as the season wore on.
“He’s getting more confident,” Smart said before the Georgia Tech game. “Less pre-game and early-game jitters.
He’s comfortable, practicing well. He’s doing things for the second and third time instead of the first time, and he continues to get better - and we need him to continue to get better.”
Griffin’s own word for the season? Perseverance.
Between the injury, the learning curve, and the pressure of playing in the SEC trenches as a true freshman, he had to earn every snap. But he never lost sight of the process.
“I just take process over results and am taking things day by day,” he said.
Even with all he accomplished, Griffin is clear-eyed about what comes next. He knows there’s another level to reach - and he’s already focused on the details.
Eye discipline. Confidence.
Consistency. Those are the areas he’s targeting as he heads into his sophomore year.
The SEC isn’t known for giving second chances, but it does reward players who learn fast and hit back harder. Elijah Griffin took his lumps in 2025 - and gave out plenty of his own.
Now, with a full season under his belt and the trust of his coaches, he’s not just chasing a starting role. He’s chasing greatness.
And if his freshman year was just the beginning, Georgia’s defensive line might be anchored by a star in the making.