Exclusive: 2019 California ATH DeMarcus Griffin names Nevada as a top two school

Ever since receiving his first offer in May, class of 2019 athlete DeMarcus Griffin’s recruiting stock has been rising rapidly, and it appears he is now very close to committing.

Griffin told Mountain West Connection exclusively this week that he has narrowed his recruitment down to just two schools: Nevada and Kansas.

The 5’9,” 170-pound Griffin is a true athlete, and plays both receiver and cornerback, and has received offers from schools willing to play him at either. Those offers hail from Nevada, Kansas, Southern Mississippi, Texas State, Texas-El Paso, BYU, and Rutgers.

He said he is ready to commit shortly, and is not considering any other schools besides the pair in his top two. “As of right now, no, [I am not considering any other schools], but I am patiently waiting on what comes next,” said Griffin.

Griffin is truly focused on Kansas, of the Big-12 Conference, and Nevada, of the Mountain West Conference. At this point, it is safe to say the unranked recruit has pretty much disregarded the other schools that have offered him and shown interest saying, “No, not really,” when asked if he ever considered his other options.

Griffin, an incoming junior who played last season with Washington Union HS (Fresno, Calif.) is as versatile as he is shifty, as clearly evidenced by his 2016 sophomore year highlight reel. In the tape, he shows off his trademark speed from everywhere on the field, whether he be taking a snap under center, or receiving a screen pass. According to his Scout.com profile, Griffin has clocked in at a blazing 40-yard dash time of 4.52.

So why does Griffin like the Wolf Pack, the lone school representing the Mountain West to offer him?

“I like the coaching staff, [and] academics over there and community,” remarked Griffin. “I have been talking with cornerbacks coach Chip Viney.”

How did it feel when he received a scholarship from Nevada earlier this month?

“It was exciting and very honoring that now I have the choice to play with one of my favorite coaches I know,” the California recruit replied.

Griffin has not visited their facilities located on their campus in Reno, Nevada, but he plans on attending their Nevada Grit Camp event on July 28th.

“Me and Coach [Viney’s] connection is close because he used to play for my 7v7 team and I [have] known him for along while,” according to Griffin.

He also mentioned one of the main reasons why he speaks so highly of the Nevada Wolf Pack. “I chose [them] because it’s a place where I can start my own legacy and my own trend.”

That is certainly something Griffin can accomplish in Reno, as he said he has the opportunity to receive a significantly larger amount of playing time with Nevada, even as an underclassman, as opposed to Kansas. This makes sense, as the Jayhawks feature a bounty of more players at both receiver and cornerback than Nevada.

Take Kansas' 2018 recruiting class, which already claims a three and four-star receiver, as well as a four-star cornerback. They also reeled in five three-star wideouts and four three-star corners in their completed 2017 class, and a brief glance at their prospective 2017 roster makes it appear that fighting for even a portion of playing time at either position would be an uphill battle at Kansas.

Griffin gave his thoughts on playing time, and the difference between Nevada and Kansas, “The difference between Nevada and Kansas, is there will be a lot more people in my position [at Kansas] and at Nevada, I have a possibility to change the program and the school.”

That, of course was not to diminish Griffin’s selection of Kansas, as the speedster offered some positive words about involving Kansas in his collegiate future, saying, “I chose Kansas because [they’re] one of the biggest schools I’ve been offered by and they gave the opportunity to change the program.”

What does he mean by change the program?

“[They] gave me the opportunity to come in and show that I am able to play for them and do big things,” said Griffin. “I’ve been talking to them for a while and I am in contact with the quarterbacks coach, [Garrett] Riley.”

As I reported earlier for Mountain West Connection, Griffin was talking with and receiving interest from a few Mountain West programs, including San Jose State, which he visited once, Wyoming, and Fresno State. Surprisingly, although Griffin is a Fresno native, he declared that he was not interested in Fresno State, with one of the main reasons being how close to home they are.

Expect Griffin to have Jayhawk and Wolf Pack fans on the edge of their seats until he officially unveils his college decision. No matter where he winds up, he has this to say:

“Respect my decision and I’m coming with heat once I’m committed!”