2026 4-star EDGE Zavion Griffin-Haynes is looking nationwide for the best fit
Rolesville (N.C.) four-star EDGE Zavion Griffin-Haynes holds offers from more than 20 schools. Some of the programs that are showing him a lot of attention include Duke, Florida State, NC State, North Carolina, Ole Miss, South Carolina and UCLA.
Griffin-Haynes has visited Duke, NC State, North Carolina, Ohio State, Tennessee and South Carolina so far. His trips to the Blue Devils, Gamecocks, Tar Heels and Wolfpack came in the spring.
“On my visits, what matters to me are my connections at a school, a family environment, it being a place that will put me in the best position development-wise and a place that will help me put my family in the best position possible,” Griffin-Haynes told On3 . “When I go on campus, I am also looking to experience something I’ve never seen before.”
The 6-foot-6, 220-pound pass rusher is hoping to add Georgia, LSU, Oregon and USC to his offer list. He has already locked in a visit to NC State for June 1 and is planning to return to North Carolina in the summer.
Griffin-Haynes also hopes to see Florida, Georgia, UCLA and USC because he wants to learn more about programs that play in the SEC and on the West Coast, as well as Ohio State. That is a key reason why the No. 7 player in North Carolina is in no rush to announce his college destination.
“It’s going to be a hard decision,” said Griffin-Haynes, the No. 78 overall prospect and No. 7 EDGE in the 2026 On300. “I would love to commit early and get locked in with a program that I love that has people in it who genuinely love me. But I’m going to take the process slow for right now.”
A trio of SEC schools have the attention of Griffin-Haynes
Tennessee greatly impressed Griffin-Haynes during his visit to Knoxville in February 2023. Now that the Volunteers have offered him, he would “love to get back up” to Rocky Top.
Georgia also has his attention. Even though Griffin-Haynes does not hold an offer from the Bulldogs, he hopes to get one soon and is still very interested in one of the top programs in college football.
“They develop a lot of players,” Griffin-Haynes said. “They have sent a lot of players to the draft. I like the coaches and how they develop players.”
South Carolina is another SEC school that is an early contender for Griffin-Haynes. He has enjoyed his two visits to Columbia, which occurred on April 20 and Jan. 27.
The four-star has already spoken with head coach Shane Beamer, defensive coordinator/inside linebackers coach Clayton White and defensive ends/outside linebackers coach Sterling Lucas. On his January trip, Griffin-Haynes saw South Carolina’s men’s basketball team play Missouri.
“It was great and it was amazing,” Griffin-Haynes said. “As soon as I got there, they took a big step in my recruitment. They definitely stood out and showed love. That was my first time up there and visiting an SEC school, so it felt different.”
Duke, NC State and North Carolina want to keep Griffin-Haynes home
Duke, NC State and North Carolina are all contenders for Griffin-Haynes heading into the summer. He shared that the Tar Heels are “ahead” of the Wolfpack and the Blue Devils at the moment.
North Carolina has hosted him twice in his recruitment. A key reason for his interest in the Tar Heels is because of defensive line coach Ted Monachino.
“He coached in the league for around 20 years and coached some of the best EDGE rushers in the NFL like Khalil Mack,” Griffin-Haynes said. “I would love to get coached by him. They develop players, have great facilities and are a great school overall.”
The chance to compete in front of family and friends is one of the things that intrigues Griffin-Haynes about NC State. The Wolfpack’s campus is only 30 minutes away from him.
Griffin-Haynes, who has visited NC State three times, is close with multiple coaches on the Wolfpack’s staff. They include head coach Dave Doeren and defensive line coach Charley Wiles.
“They’re close to home,” Griffin-Haynes said. “The relationship they have with me is great and they show me love every time I go up there.”
The post 2026 4-star EDGE Zavion Griffin-Haynes is looking nationwide for the best fit appeared first on On3.
Welcome to Billionaire Club Co LLC, your gateway to a brand-new social media experience! Sign up today and dive into over 10,000 fresh daily articles and videos curated just for your enjoyment. Enjoy the ad free experience, unlimited content interactions, and get that coveted blue check verification—all for just $1 a month!
Account Frozen
Your account is frozen. You can still view content but cannot interact with it.
Please go to your settings to update your account status.
Open Profile Settings