For his senior season Griffen recorded 77 tackles and 16 sacks despite being double and even triple teamed. Offensively, he rushed for 1,251 yards (7.86 yards per carry) and accounted for 22 touchdowns. Griffen, 6-4 and 265 pounds, has committed to USC. He ran a blazing 4.46 forty yard dash at a Scout.com combine in Los Angeles this past spring. Griffen also bench presses 420, squats 550 and power cleans 335 pounds.
“This was a close vote and there was obviously many worthy candidates,” said Jamie Newberg, Scout.com National Recruiting Analyst. “But Griffen is our top rated prospect overall and he had a super senior season.”
Griffen narrowly edged out quarterback Ryan Mallett (Texarkana, Texas) for this honor. Other nominees included quarterbacks Robert Marve (Tampa, Fla.) and Aaron Corp (Orange, Calif.), running backs Chris Rainey (Lakeland, Fla.) and Darren Evans (Indianapolis, In.).
Griffen is the first defensive prospect to be named the Scout.com National Player of the Year. Past winners are running back Chris Wells (Ohio State), quarterbacks Chris Leak (Florida) and Ryan Perrilloux (LSU) and wide receiver Ted Ginn, Jr. (Ohio State).
Griffen also headlines the Scout.com All-American team. Defensive tackle Marvin Austin (Washington D.C.), cornerback Eric Berry (Fairburn, Ga.), safety Chad Jones (Baton Rouge, La.), and middle linebacker Chris Galippo (Anaheim, Calif.) join Griffen on the first team defense while quarterback Jimmy Clausen (Westlake Village, Calif.), running backs Joe McKnight (River Ridge, La.) and Marc Tyler (Westlake Village, Calif.), wide receivers Arrelious Benn (Washington D.C.) and Terrance Toliver (Hempstead, Texas) and offensive lineman Tray Allen (Grand Prairie, Texas) headline the first team offense.
The Scout.com second team All-Americans are led by quarterback Ryan Mallett, running back Noel Devine (Fort Myers, Fla.), cornerbacks Curtis Brown (Gilmer, Texas) and Donovan Warren (Long Beach, Calif.), wide receiver Deonte Thompson (Belle Glade, Fla.), and defensive end Ben Martin (Cincinnati, Fla.).
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QB Jimmy Clausen |
| (Oaks Christian) Westlake Village, Cal. |
| Committed to Notre Dame |
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RB Joe McKnight |
| (John Curtis Christian) River Ridge, La. |
| LSU, Mississippi, USC |
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RB Marc Tyler |
| (Oaks Christian) Westlake Village, Cal. |
| Committed to USC |
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WR Terrance Toliver |
| (Hempstead) Hempstead, Tex. |
| Committed to LSU |
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WR Arrelious Benn |
| (Dunbar) Washington, D.C. |
| Committed to Illinois |
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TE Aaron Hernandez |
| (Bristol Central) Bristol, Conn. |
| Committed to Florida |
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OT Josh Oglesby |
| (St. Francis) Saint Francis, Wisc. |
| Committed to Wisconsin |
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OG Tray Allen |
| (South Grand Prarie) Grand Prarie, Tex. |
| Committed to Texas |
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C Kristofer O'Dowd |
| (Salpointe Catholic) Tucson, Ariz. |
| Committed to USC |
 |
OG James Wilson |
| (Nease) St. Augustine, Fla. |
| Committed to Florida |
 |
OT Anthony Davis |
| (Piscataway Township) Piscataway, N.J. |
| Committed to Rutgers |
 |
DE Everson Griffen |
| (Aqua Fria Union) Avondale, Ariz. |
| Committed to USC |
 |
DE Martez Wilson |
| (Simeon Vocational) Chicago, Ill. |
| Committed to Illinois |
 |
DT Marvin Austin |
| (Ballou) Washington, D.C. |
| Florida State, North Carolina |
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DT Torrey Davis |
| (Armwood) Seffner, Fla. |
| Committed to Florida |
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LB Chris Galippo |
| (Servite) Anaheim, Cal. |
| Committed to USC |
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LB J'Courtney Williams |
| (Christchurch) Christchurch, Va. |
| Committed to Virginia |
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LB Lorenzo Edwards |
| (Edgewater) Orlando, Fla. |
| Committed to Florida |
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CB Eric Berry |
| (Creekside) Fairburn, Ga. |
| Committed to Tennessee |
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CB Ronald Johnson |
| (Muskegon) Muskegon, Mich. |
| Committed to USC |
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S Chad Jones |
| (Southern University Lab) Baton Rouge, La. |
|
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S Eugene Clifford |
| (Colerain) Cincinnati, Ohio |
| Committed to Ohio State |
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K David Green |
| (Mission Viejo) Mission Viejo, Cal. |
| Committed to Stanford |
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P Chas Henry |
| (East Paulding) Dallas, Ga. |
| Committed to Florida |
|
SECOND TEAM ALL-AMERICANS |
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QB Ryan Mallett |
| (Texas) Texarkana, Tex. |
| Committed to Michigan |
 |
RB Noel Devine |
| (North Fort Myers) North Fort Myers, Fla. |
| Committed to West Virginia |
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RB Caleb King |
| (Greater Atlanta Christian) Norcross, Ga. |
| Committed to Georgia |
 |
WR Deonte Thompson |
| (Glades Central) Belle Glade, Fla. |
| Florida, Florida State, Miami, USC |
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WR John Chiles |
| (Mansfield Summitt) Arlington, Tex. |
| Committed to Texas |
 |
TE Mike Ragone |
| (Camden Catholic) Cherry Hill, N.J. |
| Committed to Notre Dame |
 |
OT Ryan Miller |
| (Columbine) Littleton, Col. |
| Committed to Colorado |
 |
OG Chris Jacobson |
| (Keystone Oaks) Pittsburgh, Pa. |
| Committed to Pittsburgh |
 |
C Ryan Pugh |
| (Hoover) Hoover, Ala. |
| Committed to Auburn |
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OG John Elliott |
| (East Meadow) East Meadow, N.Y. |
| Committed to Boston College |
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OT Martin Coleman |
| (Edison) Huntington Beach, Cal. |
| Committed to USC |
 |
DE Ben Martin |
| (La Salle) Cincinnati, Ohio |
| Committed to Tennessee |
 |
DE Justin Trattou |
| (Don Bosco Prep) Ramsey, N.J. |
| Committed to Florida |
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DT Andre Jones |
| (Andress) El Paso, Tex. |
| Committed to Texas |
 |
DT Joseph Barksdale |
| (Cass Technical) Detroit, Mich. |
| Committed to LSU |
 |
LB Terrance Pritchett |
| (Grant Union) Sacramento, Cal. |
| Committed to Oregon |
 |
LB Chris Donald |
| (Huntingdon) Huntingdon, Tenn. |
| Committed to Tennessee |
 |
LB Manny Abreu |
| (Union Hill) Union City, N.J. |
| Committed to Rutgers |
 |
CB Curtis Brown |
| (Gilmer) Gilmer, Tex. |
| Committed to Texas |
 |
CB Donovan Warren |
| (Poly) Long Beach, Cal. |
| Committed to Michigan |
 |
S Marshall Jones |
| (Oaks Christian) Westlake Village, Cal. |
| Committed to USC |
 |
S Major Wright |
| (St. Thomas Aquinas) Fort Lauderdale, Fla. |
| Committed to Florida |
 |
K Billy Bennett |
| (Torrey Pines) Encinitas, Cal. |
| Committed to Boston College |
 |
P Bryan Anger |
| (Adolfo) Camarillo, Cal. |
| Committed to California |
|