Michael is a very strong 3-down linebacker who is moving over to Hough High School from West Charlotte High School for his senior season. That’s a great addition for the defending 8A State Champions, and pairing with Ryan Peterson Ryan Peterson 6'0" | 215 lbs | LB William A. Hough | 2028 State NC and Charles Puckett Charles Puckett 6'1" | 205 lbs | LB William A. Hough | 2028 State NC will make the Huskies formidable at the 2nd level again. Michael does a great job shoring up the run game in the middle of the defense and dropping to cover receivers in the middle of the field with excellent recognition and awareness. From a recruiting perspective, Michael has recently named his Top 8 schools – in no order here – Wake Forest, Florida, Indiana, Florida State, Auburn, Michigan, Oklahoma, and Virginia Tech.

One of the big stories this offseason has been player movement, and Michael has switched schools from West Charlotte to Hough. There’s no doubt that he fits seamlessly into the Huskies projected defense next season, as Michael is an absolute talent as an inside linebacker. The hustle and skill in getting to the football in the running game is impressive, and we’ve seen Michael command the middle of the field well in pass coverage, also. The speed, agility, and explosive movements on the 2nd level have also impressed numerous college programs. Louisville, Wake Forest, Liberty, and Oklahoma have been the latest programs to offer this young man.

Griffin can play inside or outside linebacker, and if this year was any indication, he may play more on the outside in college. He flashed as a blitzer in 2025, with excellent closing speed and sure tackling. The biggest differences between his sophomore and junior films are his improved strength and instincts. He’s unafraid of blockers, able to hold up against interior offensive linemen to fill gaps.

I felt like Michael played a really good game for the Lions from his linebacker position – especially in the first half. Michael did a great job in making multiple plays and helped keep the Huskies in check for the vast majority of that first half, especially in the running game. Michael showed why he’s one of the highest-ranked linebackers in the state in this one.

The second leading tackler on the game for the Lions, Michael, was all over the place as one of the primary run defenders in this one. There were often times when Michael was shedding blocks from a talented Myers Park offensive line and making solo tackles in the running game. I liked how well Michael was covering off-tackle runs as well from the Mustangs, showing nice speed and pursuit angles going downhill. Michael totaled 7 tackles in the game, 6 of them being solo tackles.

Michael was active all game in the middle of the Lions’ defense, and he was a big reason why Mallard Creek did not run the ball as well as they had been in their victories over some good teams in the non-conference portion of their schedule. Michael also picked up a critical interception near the end of the first half, which ended a drive where Mallard Creek was in the red zone and could have scored points to make it closer before halftime.

The middle linebacker for the Lions was a big reason why the Whirlies’ running game was held in check for the majority of the game. Michael was literally in the middle of most plays, diagnosing and reading the run game well, and fitting exactly where he needed to be from his linebacker spot. Michael was the leading tackler for the Lions, finishing with 11 total tackles, 8 of them solo tackles, for the game.

Griffin hasn’t had the loudest spring out there in terms of offers and overall recruiting hype, but he remains one of the best second-level defenders in the entire country. He’s a reliable tackler who can play both middle linebacker and outside linebacker. He can move and excelled both as a run defender and in pass coverage last season.