NEWTON COUNTY – After weeks of anticipation, senior defensive lineman Tim Griffin Jr. has announced he intends to take his talents to the University of Cincinnati.

Griffin committed to Cincinnati on Saturday at a special ceremony at Alcovy High School surrounded by family, friends and coaches. 

The 6-5, 255 pound three-star lineman picked the Bearcats out of 14 collegiate offers. Leading up to his commitment, his final four schools included Alabama, Florida State and Ole Miss.

Minutes after his commitment, Griffin told The Covington News that he knew he was going to Cincinnati from the moment he first visited.

“Cincinnati spoke to my heart from the first day that I touched down on Sept. 21,” Griffin said. “It felt like home.”

According to Griffin, he submitted a verbal commitment to the school on Oct. 4.

Griffin said that this commitment cemented his legacy at a school he will always call home in Alcovy. He hopes that this can pave the way for his teammates as well others that attend Alcovy in the future.

“So many people told me, ‘Why not Eastside? Why not Newton?’ And I just told them I can do what I’m doing there, here,” Griffin said. “Sometimes things just are bigger than winning or losing. Sometimes you gotta make a legacy and I feel like I made a legacy here.

That legacy includes being the first player from Alcovy in 13 years that has committed to a Power 4 (formerly Power 5) school. Devon Edwards was the last to do so back in 2011, when he signed to Duke.

Now as he takes his talents up north, he will join a class that has 17 total commitments.  One of the other commitments from the Bearcats include Newton Rams 2,000-yard rusher Zion Johnson, who committed back in February. 

Griffin – who is early enrolling to the university in January alongside Johnson – said that he looks to make his hometown proud.

“We’re definitely gonna make the Big 12 proud and make Newton County proud,” Griffin said. “Leaving early, we are doing things that have never been done before. We just wanna put our name on the map, our city on the map and our family on the map. And we’re gonna do that together in the Big 12.”

Representatives from Cincinnati were quick to congratulate Griffin, including his new position coach.

“When one chapter closes, another chapter begins,” said Cincinnati defensive line coach Walter Johnson via a video message. “And the bearcat chapter starts in January.”

Now as Griffin enters into this new chapter, he has his sights set on engraving his name in the Cincinnati history books with some high goals.

“Break the sack record. Break the tackle for loss record,” Griffin said. Break every record I possibly can as a defensive lineman and go to the NFL and break every record there.”