Rylan Griffen is a 6’5 shooting guard from Richardson, TX, and was rated #70 in the 2022 class by Rivals. When Griffen committed to Alabama on November 9th, it was just a little over two weeks after his official visit to The Capstone. He had several high-quality offers from big-time programs such as Kansas, Arizona, Baylor, Texas, and Oklahoma, but ultimately chose to leave the Midwest and go to the Southeast.

Griffen is a three-level scorer who can score from anywhere on the court, and he showed that on the foreign tour scoring 19 points and tallying 5 assists in the 108-64 victory over Spain Select. He was getting to the rim, shooting from outside well, and showed the ability to score in a variety of ways.

Rylan Griffen has the upside to become a great all-around player if he works hard. He has great size at the shooting guard position at 6’5, with a thin frame to add to his 180 pounds and get stronger. He has all the tools to become a high-level defender, but being a good defender means you must want to be great at it. Former Alabama great Herbert Jones was a solid defender coming into college, but he used his length and athleticism and paired them with an unmatched work ethic to become an elite defender in the NBA. Griffen has the tools to be a very good defender, but he must show he wants to become a high-level defender.

For a shooting guard, Griffen is a solid shooter but that is an area he could improve in to become a high-level impact player. He can score in a variety of ways but becoming a consistent threat from outside will be key in his development. He is also extremely athletic and can make a highlight play if given a path to the rim. His growth as an offensive player in college will be one that Alabama fans will want to watch unfold because he is an extremely talented player that still has loads of potential left untapped.

If Rylan Griffen can add of some muscle and weight to his thin 6’5 frame, he has all the other tools to become an impact guy for Alabama this season and beyond. Nate Oats and staff pulled in an excellent class in 2022 and Griffen was one of the highlights of it. If Oats and his staff can bring the best out of Griffen, then they just got a diamond in the rough.