Southern Miss strikes again in Jacksonville

Jacksonville (Fla.) Trinity Christian safety Lynn Griffin made the call on Monday evening having a teleconference with a number of the coaches at his future college to inform them of his intentions to pledge his services to their football program.

"I just committed to Southern Miss," Griffin said. "It just felt right. The campus felt comfortable. I like the program a lot. There is a great family atmosphere. After talking it over with my family and coaches, I just felt like it was a great place to play football and get an education. They came after me pretty hard and been high on me for quite a while. It is a place where I think I can fit in at right away. That was a big plus. I like the way they run their program."

The 5-foot-11, 200-pound prospect said that Southern Miss just stood out amongst his offers and other schools that were showing interest.

"I was considering a few other schools but I just felt like at the end of the day Southern Miss was the right place for me," Griffin said. "That is where I felt most comfortable."

Griffin said he was heavily considering Georgia State and Miami-Ohio before opting for the Eagles.

What helped Larry Fedora and his staff secure Griffin's commitment was a visit he took to Hattiesburg earlier this summer. He said it helped him to gain an in-depth understanding of what the school and football program had to offer.

"I visited there earlier this summer," Griffin said. "They just have great academics. They have put a lot of guys in the NFL. It was just a nice experience and I realized I can trust the coaches. It is a great program. I talked to the players there and they love it. I just bonded with them while I was there. They also play good football in a good conference."

When he arrives on campus at the Conference USA program, he will begin his career on the defensive side of the ball.

"I will play safety there, probably strong safety and as a nickelback," Griffin said. "I think that fits me because I like to make contact. I will get to hit people."

Griffin has yet to schedule an official visit to Southern Miss but plans to in the near future. As for other visits, he said they could occur but he has no specific plans at this point.

As a junior, Griffin played at Jacksonville (Fla.) Providence. He has since transferred to Jacksonville (Fla.) Trinity Christian, who are defending state champions.