Louisville Football is looking to put the finishing touches on its 2022 recruiting class. After picking up commitments recently from Tennessee transfer Tiyon Evans and Miami transfer Dee Wiggins. They hit the portal again and picked up Temple transfer S MJ Griffin. While still perusing the portal, the staff is also on the lookout for high school talent. They managed to land an OL out of Indiana Sam Secrest. He will blue shirt, meaning he will commit to Cards and be put on scholarship next fall.
MJ Griffin:
Committed‼️#FLYVILLE @jdemling @DaveLackfordESQ pic.twitter.com/fiIgdnsfcq
— MJ Griffin (@MJGRIFFIN2019) December 12, 2021
MJ Griffin is a player that nearly came to UofL straight out of high school, but instead ended up at Temple. Coming out of high school, Griffin had notable offers from the Cards, uk, Iowa State, and Indiana per 247sports.
In 2021, Griffin was a highly effective safety. He recorded 65 total tackles, 3 tackles for loss, a sack, a fumble recovery, and he broke up 4 passes. For his career at Temple, Griffin recorded 88 total tackles, 4 tackles for loss, the 1 sack, the 1 fumble recovery, 1 forced fumble, and 5 pass breakups.
Before committing to UofL as a transfer, Griffin had offers from Kansas, Georgia Tech, and Nebraska. Ultimately, the 6’1 195 lbs MI native chose to come to UofL. He already had familiarity with the school and campus as mentioned previously.
Griffin is a safety I expect to slot into the spot vacated by Qwynterrio Cole. He’s got excellent speed sideline to sideline and is a good tackler that gets some big hits. I suspect he will be used a lot in run support by UofL. His 4 pass breakups show he can cover as well. He reminds me just a little of Calvin Pryor. I’m not saying he’s going to be exactly like Calvin Pryor, but I see some similar traits.
Sam Secrest:
COMMITTED!
— Sam Secrest (@samsecrest72) December 12, 2021
Excited to get to work in The Ville!#FLYVILLE22 #GoCards #LsUp @jrody25 @RoncalliFB @UofLFootball @CoachSattUofL @CoachBicknell @SWiltfong247 @AllenTrieu @IndianaPreps @IndyWeOutHere pic.twitter.com/dhjrdvZOH9
Sam Secrest is an OL that offensive line Coach Jack Bicknell recruited per 247sports. The 6’6 295 lbs interior lineman has accepted a blue shirt offer. The Indiana native has really good size and is likely a project that Coach Bicknell believes he can mold into a monster guard or center.
Secrest chose the Cards over a host of offers from Ivy League and MAC schools. He is ranked the 3 Star prospect and was a Central Michigan commit before UofL flipped him. He is expected to gain a scholarship in the fall.
Secrest primarily plays center and has excellent skill. He can snap the ball and be making a block mere seconds later. He’s got excellent get-off and is a nasty blocker. He finishes blocks very well and has good athleticism that allows him to move well and get some downfield blocks on rushing plays. I’d suspect that he would redshirt to get even stronger and learn the nuances of the center position at the college level, which are much more complex than at the high school level. I can see why Coach Bicknell went after Secrest. There is talent there and his size is definitely noticeable.
Louisville picked up an immediate impact transfer in MJ Griffin and a young, promising prospect on the offensive line in Sam Secrest. Griffin will help the Cards by adding a proven playmaker in the secondary at the safety position. Sam Secrest will be a guy the staff will try to mold into the heir apparent to next season’s likely starter at center Bryan Hudson. All-in-all, two good pickups as we edge closer to signing day.
