ATHENS — Georgia has had a lot of talented defensive linemen walk through its halls in recent years.

But few have generated as much hype and excitement before playing their first snap as current freshman Elijah Griffin.

Whether it be Travon Walker, Mykel Williams and even Jalen Carter, none were seen as players that could come in right away and make an impact.

Yet those seem to be the expectations for Griffin entering his first season.

“Freshman Elijah Griffin, the No. 1 defensive tackle prospect in the 2025 ESPN 300, made a great impression in spring practice and should contribute immediately,” ESPN’s Mark Schlabach wrote of Griffin.

All four recruiting services ranked Griffin as the No. 1 defensive player for the 2025 recruiting class. Even with Georgia signing the No. 1 EDGE and the No. 1 inside linebacker in the 2025 recruiting class, the chatter around Griffin this spring has dwarfed that of the other 5-star prospects that Georgia brought in.

Outgoing defensive lineman Warren Brinson, who was drafted by the Green Bay Packers in the 2025 NFL Draft, made it a point to compare Griffin to Carter.

Smart would go out of his way to try and walk back those comparisons, as Griffin and Carter are different players.

“Like Elijah Griffin, he’s a great player. He’s a good player. Everybody’s like, oh, guys, the next Jalen Carter,” Smart said in a radio interview with 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.”

Carter won two national championships during his time in Athens and was an All-American. He was taken with the No. 9 overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft and has since won a Super Bowl with the Philadelphia Eagles.

Georgia would be thrilled if Griffin became that type of player. But he won’t do that overnight, nor over one offseason with the Georgia program.

Part of the reason why there is perhaps more hype surrounding Griffin than other 5-star defensive linemen is because of the current state of the Georgia defensive line.

The Bulldogs had three defensive linemen drafted in the 2025 NFL Draft, while Naz Stackhouse signed with the Green Bay Packers as an undrafted free agent. Add in that Christen Miller, the most veteran member of Georgia’s defensive line, missed spring practice due to labrum surgery, and you have plenty of snaps available.

Griffin took advantage of that this spring, quickly making an impact for the Bulldogs. His power and size showed up on G-Day, where the freshman won a number of 1-on-1 battles while working against the second-team offensive line.

Griffin finished the game with just 1 tackle, but he was consistently in the backfield on the afternoon.

Miller will return by the start of fall camp and Georgia is hopeful that some of its other 5-star defensive linemen — namely Jordan Hall and Joseph Jonah-Ajonye — can play big roles on a reloaded defensive line.

But it’s clear Griffin has the tools and opportunity to help Georgia right away. Now, it seems there is an expectation that he will do so.