ATLANTA – After weeks of anticipation, Tim Griffin is coming back home to play college football.

Griffin announced his commitment to Georgia Tech on Thursday after entering the transfer portal two weeks ago. He chose the Yellow Jackets over Jax State, UCLA, Virginia Tech and Oklahoma State.

The 6-foot-5, 270-pound defensive lineman originally signed with Cincinnati in November 2024 over Alabama, Florida State and Ole Miss after an efficient senior season. In his lone season with the Bearcats, he logged one solo tackle in a 70-0 blowout over Northwestern State.

Since Griffin did not play significant minutes last season, he will be classified as a redshirt freshman with four years of eligibility.

Griffin becomes the second Covington native to join the Yellow Jackets roster in recent years. 2024 All-Cov News MVP and Eastside alumnus Jayden Barr is a defensive back for the squad. Barr also redshirted in 2025.

The pair will play under veteran head coach Brent Key and new defensive coordinator Jason Semore, who replaced the departing Blake Gideon.