Film Don't Lie: Houston Griffith
Houston Griffith was a top of the board prospect for Notre Dame in the class of 2018 back when he was still a freshman in high school. He remained there even when he was committed to Florida State with the Irish coaching staff continuing to put in work to bring him to South Bend.
Finally, all that work has paid off with a commitment with Griffith choosing to spend his next four years closer to his home in Illinois rather than staying out in Florida where he played his high school football the last two seasons at IMG Academy. It’s a huge recruiting win for Mike Elko, Todd Lyght, and Brian Kelly because Griffith is the kind of talent that can help them out immediately in the defensive backfield.
Height: 6’1”
Weight: 195
Projected Position: Cornerback or Free Safety
ISD Grade: 96 (4 star, #30 in ISD Fab 50)
National Average: 95 (4 star)
What he does best:
First off, I want get it out of the way that I believe Griffith can play corner and play it a high level at Notre Dame. I wrote this about him back when I watched him compete against the best receivers in the nation at The Opening last summer:
“Maybe there are a few more impressive athletes at the position here, but the drop off is not very big from them to him. And he makes up for any edge by being incredibly efficient with his feet.
“There is no wasted motion with him out of his backpedal and at any time in coverage. His coverage against (Notre Dame wide receiver target) Chase Cota was a perfect example of that. He mirrored Cota step for step on an out route to break up the pass where he might as well have been his shadow.”
One of the things that made Julian Love so great this year (a Sports Illustrated 2nd team All-American) is that his route recognition and anticipation was elite. I see that same thing from Griffith when he's playing corner and that is what makes him so special. That’s intelligence and instincts rolled into one and he has that as a big part of his game.
I also wrote this about Griffith last summer:
“Houston Griffith has looked like one of the best corners in the country when I have watched him. He showcased his make-up speed on a deep ball to (one time Notre Dame target) Alontae Taylor that he broke up and was attached to hip of (Notre Dame target) Tommy Bush for another pass breakup. He gives receivers no room on any underneath routes in man coverage.
"Bush in particular struggled to separate from Griffith and it seemed like it was that way for most players when they went up against the 4 star from IMG Academy. Obviously he has plenty of options, but this week is just proving he is must-get in this class for Notre Dame. The Irish need a corner of his caliber.”
If you’re not aware of Taylor as a prospect, he is the kind of athlete that has the speed to run by just about anybody. So Griffith showcasing that make-up was incredibly impressive.
I definitely appreciate that part of his game, but what makes him so good as a prospect overall is that he does so much so well. Something as simple as being physical as a tackler on this hitch where he sticks his foot in the ground and explodes to the ball is awesome to see.
Or watching him get to the quarterback as a blitzer from the boundary.
He has great timing as a blitzer, which is something he showed as a senior while playing safety. He is coming downhill and getting skinny to avoid this block before making the tackle.
He’s just a pure football player. That’s why he can play safety and potentially be a great one because he does so many things well. He has corner skills where he can cover just about anyone that he is assigned to, but can do all the other little things required from the safety position.
What he needs to work on:
I watched a couple of IMG games where I thought he was a bit too aggressive with his run fits and missed opportunities at tackles because of that. If he ends up playing safety, that’s clearly something that will be important for him to hone in on.
I’d like to see him get his hands on the football more at safety. It’s a different story when someone is playing man coverage and can break on the football. I didn’t see enough production in that area. If he ends up at safety, that’s something that Notre Dame desperately needs from the free safety position and hasn’t had since Harrison Smith.
What’s his ceiling?
I mentioned Love earlier. What he has developed into for the Irish is what I feel is an appropriate comparison for Griffith. Think of him as a bigger version of Love and that’s what could be in his future. Someone that can be the top corner on the team, but also might be the best safety as well.
That’s the versatility that he offers and why this is such a massive pickup for Notre Dame. He is going to find a role somewhere in the defensive backfield for them and it could be as early as next fall. It would be a disappointment if he didn’t emerge as a multi-year starter and he could rise up to be an All-American caliber player during his college career.