Kirby Smart has tried his best to slow the hype building around freshman defensive tackle Elijah Griffin.

Yet the Georgia coach seems to have so far been unsuccessful in that regard, given how many people expect Griffin to make an immediate impact.

Chris Hummer of CBS Sports became the latest to extoll the freshman defensive tackle.

“Kirby Smart has done nothing but land five-star defensive linemen since showing up in Athens,” Hummer wrote in a story identifying the top freshmen for the upcoming season. “So, it’s notable that Griffin is the highest-ranked defensive lineman to sign with the Bulldogs under Smart.

“Griffin had a strong spring, too, generating plenty of hype even if Smart attempted to downplay any Jalen Carter comparisons midway through spring ball.” 

Griffin was the No. 3 overall ranked recruit in the 2025 recruiting cycle per the 247Sports Composite rankings. No defensive recruit in the country was ranked higher than Griffin.

While Griffin is the highest-rated defensive lineman Smart has landed, he isn’t the first 5-star prospect to step in on the defensive line. Travon Walker, Jalen Carter, Jordan Hall and Joseph Jonah-Ajonye all came to Georgia as 5-star recruits.

Walker and Carter went on to become top-10 picks, while Hall and Jonah-Ajonye are both still hoping to make an impact at Georgia. Jonah-Ajonye dealt with injuries last season, while Hall had only 10 tackles in 10 games as a freshman.

As great as Walker and Carter became in their times at Georgia, neither set the world on fire in their first season at Georgia. Carter had 14 tackles and 3.0 tackles for loss as a freshman. He did play in all 10 games and actually scored a touchdown in the team’s win over Tennessee.

Walker is the only 5-star defensive lineman to sign with Georgia to record a sack in his freshman season. He had 2.5 back in 2019, including a memorable one against Auburn. On the season, Walker had 15 tackles and 3.5 tackles for loss.

Walker and Carter were both able to become rotation pieces in their first season at Georgia. That is perhaps a fair expectation for Griffin, even with the depth situation being what it is on the defensive line.

Christen Miller is Georgia’s most proven defensive lineman. Hall and Xzavier McLeod are redshirt sophomores. The Bulldogs have five redshirt freshmen on the defensive line, including Jonah-Ajonye.

The lack of proven depth in front of Griffin is perhaps why expectations are so high for the Pooler, Ga., native.

Well, that and former Georgia defensive lineman Warren Brinson actively comparing him to Carter.

Griffin and Carter’s games aren’t the same, as Griffin is more power-based compared to the quick-twitch ability of Carter. It’s one of the many reasons Smart has tried his best to downplay any comparisons with Griffin.

“Elijah Griffin, he’s a great player. He’s a good player. Everybody’s like, oh, guys, the next Jalen Carter,” Smart said in an April radio appearance on 680 The Fan. “And I’m like, ‘guys, Jalen Carter was one of one.’ He was probably the greatest defensive tackle athlete. He could go and play tight end. He could dunk. He could play point guard. He’s an athlete. Like, that’s different than most kids.

“And Elijah’s going to be a good player, so I don’t want to take that for granted. But to put that, like, status on some of these kids, it’s hard.”

Just how good Griffin ends up being in 2025 remains to be seen. The next game he plays in a Georgia uniform will be his first.

And while many outside the Georgia locker room have lofty expectations for Griffin, Smart doesn’t want to put Griffin in a position to fail.

Because Georgia needs Griffin to play and produce more than it got out of Hall and Jonah-Ajonye. And perhaps even Carter and Walker as well.