Griffin makes it official, becomes No. 21
Jordan Griffin informed the Wisconsin coaching staff of his commitment two weeks ago during his official visit.
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But the three-star linebacker made the news official to the public Saturday evening during a ceremony in Florida.
"On Saturday, I'm going to announce my commitment to the University of Wisconsin," Griffin told BadgerBlitz.com on Thursday. "I just felt it was the best choice. Every time I've been up there, the coaching made me feel like a priority, not just another player.
"I'm someone they're going to count on to come in right away and get to work in order to help this team out next year."
After a long conversation while on campus, Griffin, 6-foot-1, 215 pounds, informed head coach Gary Andersen of his decision.
"Once I told coach Andersen, he grabbed me for about a 30-second hug," Griffin said. "It was a great moment for me and my family. We sat down for maybe an hour or so during my official visit and I really knew after that Wisconsin was the right school. It was the right decision and I committed right there."
Griffin chose UW over a number of offers but the decision, which had to be postponed earlier this fall, ultimately came down to Wisconsin and Central Florida.
"UCF was my first offer and that meant a lot as a sophomore," Griffin said. "They believed in me since Day 1 and that pushed them up to the top from the start. I had a great relationship with coach (Kirk) Callahan and I feel it was a place I could play at, where my family could see me play all the time. But Wisconsin was a better fit for me all around.
"I was originally going to commit a week ago, but with my official being rescheduled with the whole Chicago thing, that kind of messed things up. I had everything set but that was cancelled. It's always been Wisconsin but it just took a bit longer than I wanted.
The Badgers, led by position coach Dave Aranda, added Griffin to a class of projected linebackers that also includes Chris Orr, Dominic Sheppard, Mohamed Barry and Nick Thomas. With heavy graduation set to hit the position, early playing time will be available within the 2015 class.
"The message from the coaches to me was the same," Griffin said. "They need linebackers to come in and play quickly, guys who can grasp the system and be ready to play against Alabama. They are losing some guys and need me to come fill in.
"It feels real good to get it over with and I'm very comfortable in my decision. Wisconsin is a place that I can see myself for the next four or five years. Now I'm just ready for my senior season and trying to win a state championship."
With a 5.1 GPA, Griffin is also excited to take advantage of the academic opportunities Wisconsin is able to provide.
"Right now I'm thinking about Biology as a major and we met with the academic staff to discuss that," Griffin said. "We talked about how I would be able to balance football and still be successful in that major. We came up with a great plan and I can't wait to get working on that."
When he arrives on campus, a trip back to the Rose Bowl is high Griffin's priority list.
"I just want to tell the fans at Wisconsin that I'm going to come up there and be ready to work," he said. "I want to get us back to the Rose Bowl or hopefully win a national championship."
The Badgers currently have 21 commitments in the 2015 class.