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Oregon's recruiting class received a huge boost today as 5 star all purpose back Taj Griffin from Powder Springs, Georgia announced his commitment to the Ducks.
I've decided to take my talents to the west coast and officially commit to University of Oregon #GoDucks !!
— Taj Griffin (@TG__7) April 25, 2014
Griffin is Oregon's fifth 5 star running back commitment in the last six years, joining Lache Seastrunk, De'Anthony Thomas, Thomas Tyner, and Royce Freeman. Of all five, Griffin's commitment might be the biggest, not only because of his prodigious talent but because he comes from the heart of SEC country. He is Oregon's second 5 star commitment in history from outside the west coast (joining Seastrunk) and further cements the Ducks as a national brand in the world of college football. Griffin had offers from every major program in the country and chose Oregon over Florida State, Clemson, Georgia, and USC, among others.
Physically, Griffin has drawn a lot of comparisons to DeAnthony Thomas. Like Thomas he has outstanding speed and cutback ability and is explosive in the open field, which fits perfectly with what Oregon likes to do on offense. He doesn't have the same pure athleticism as DAT, who was a 5* recruit at five different positions out of high school, but DAT was a true anomaly. Griffin is slightly bigger than Thomas and probably also more of a natural running back, though like DAT he could see playing time right away in the return game. He is the #1 rated all-purpose back in the country according to 247Sports and the 247Sports composite, which aggregates all of the recruiting rankings.
It's still a long time until signing day and no one is truly committed until they ink their name on their national letter of intent, but Griffin is a huge pickup for the Ducks. He is a player who Oregon targeted very early and who likewise was very vocal about his interest in the Ducks. Watch his highlight video below and you can see why Oregon and Griffin are a natural fit.