Louisville Football Recruiting: Cards Land #1 JUCO TE

Bobby Petrino and the Louisville football program picked up their 10th commitment today from Austin Griffin, the #1 ranked JUCO tight end in the country.

The class of 2019 already has some heavy hitters committed to the Louisville program, but the class received a little star power today when the Cards picked up a commitment from Austin Griffin.

Griffin, a composite four star recruit and the #1 ranked junior college, visited Louisville this past weekend and apparently had seen enough, and decided to shut down his recruitment. Griffin, who hails from Saint George, Utah by way of Mt. San Antonio College in Walnut, CA is a huge get for the Cards. Standing at 6’7, 250 pounds it’s not hard to see why the Cards made him their number one priority at the position.

Though the Cards have landed commitments recently at the tight end position from Jeremiah Pruitte and Sam Snyder, both of those guys have the ability to play different positions for the Cards, while Griffin will no doubt be the team’s tight end moving forward. Bobby Petrino once again is looking to strike gold with a tight end from the JUCO ranks, after doing so with Cole Hikutini just a few years back.

So who is Austin Griffin?

Again as I mentioned before, he is ranked as the 11th best JUCO player in the country and #1 TE overall according to 247 Sports. When releasing their 2019 rankings, this is what the recruiting site had to say about Griffin:

"Griffin is a ‘Y’ tight end with the ability to help in the run game but really creates mismatches with his size and athleticism in the passing game. He’s got strong hands and the natural ability to catch balls outside his frame. He’s a capable and reliable underneath target. Griffin has surprising run-after-the-catch skills for a 6-foot-7, 250-pound prospect and shows the strength that you like to see when he has to hold down the edge in pass protection. He’s very physical when creating space at the top of his routes."

Griffin is known for his elite athleticism and size at 6’7, 250 pounds, which is impressive in itself, but what’s even more impressive is his speed. Griffin has the ability to stretch the field with his play making abilities downfield. Whether it’s over the middle, or spread out wide, Griffin shows the ability to make catches deep, and even pick up major yards after the catch. He is a good blocker, but not great, but shows the ability to improve quickly. He will be a great tool for Petrino’s offense, as he’ll provide mismatches for opposing linebackers in coverage, as well as smaller corners and safeties.

Playing for Mt. San Antonio in California, Griffin played in just three games as a freshman, totaling 4 catches for 93 yards and 2 touchdowns. Though he was rated as a four star, Griffin’s best offer was from Louisville, but recently had caught the attention of Chip Kelly at UCLA as well as from USC. Even playing two time zones away, the Cards have been considered the favorite to land Griffin ever since they extended an offer several months ago.

The tight end position has been priority #1 this offseason for the Cardinal coaches out on the recruiting trail, and picking up the commitment from Griffin may be one of their biggest wins. Griffin should be able to get on the field right away in 2019-20, as Micky Crum will have graduated, leaving behind just Kemari Averett and Jordan Davis.

Griffin will provide a matchup nightmare for Bobby Petrino and the offense, as well as great versatility when paired with Kemari Averett and Jordan Davis. Griffin will likely backup Averett in year one, but will be a great tool for Bobby in two and three tight end sets. This is a huge pick up for the Cards and from here, things will only get better.

With 10 commits in the class of 2019, the Cards still have their eyes set on several more four star, elite prospects. After having Kris Bogle, a consensus four star defensive end this past weekend, along with JJ Weaver and several others, this is just the tip of the iceberg for Bobby Petrino on the recruiting trail. The Cards currently rank 61st overall in the class of 2019 according to 247 Sports.

Here’s to hoping that changes sooner rather than later.