Chris Beard doesn’t sit back when he likes a prospect and Declan Griffiths is proof of that.
According to Zach Berry’s report for OMSpirit.com, the fourth-year Ole Miss coach recently hopped on a Zoom call with the 6-foot-7 wing. It’s a clear sign of how much the Rebels want him in their 2027 class.
Berry’s OMSpirit.com story notes Ole Miss was actually one of the first schools to offer Griffiths, long before this month’s July evaluation period turned him into one of the hottest names in the gym.
That early belief hasn’t gone unnoticed, and it’s likely part of why the staff felt comfortable setting up a call instead of just checking in through his high school program.
Per Berry’s reporting, Boston College and Northwestern are the only other high major schools that have offered Griffiths right now, though that short list probably won’t stay short.
Most industry insiders expect his offer sheet to grow fast given how he’s performed this summer.
Griffiths, out of Simsbury, sits 50th nationally in Rivals’ newly updated Rivals300, Berry’s OMSpirit.com piece states.
Rivals recruiting analyst Jamie Shaw has caught him live more than once this month and came away convinced he’s one of the best shooters around, according to the quotes Berry gathered.
A shooter who keeps proving it
Shaw didn’t hold back after Griffiths’ first game of the month, in comments relayed through Berry’s OMSpirit.com report.
“Shooters will always stand out and Declan Griffiths’ first game on Wednesday made him look like the best shooter I saw in the gym on day one,” Shaw said, adding the 6-foot-7 wing “not only knocked down five threes in his first game he also attacked a couple of closeouts as he finished on the rim.”
Shaw also broke down what Griffiths’ frame could mean down the road, per the same OMSpirit.com story.
“With his positional size and ability to pull gravity there is a lot of intrigue about what he could be at the next level,” Shaw said, noting that Griffiths “seemed comfortable getting into his shooting stride off the bounce and off movement.”
That shooting shows up on tape too, Berry writes. Griffiths plays with a quick release and real confidence, and the longer anyone watches, the more his athleticism jumps out.
He can run the floor and finish above the rim, and his game still has plenty of room to grow.
A big month keeps getting bigger
Shaw was back watching Griffiths again days later and used a familiar word to sum him up, according to Berry’s OMSpirit.com coverage.
“Declan Griffiths plays with a cool confidence that is hard to ignore,” Shaw said, and once the wing “steps on the floor and drills jump shot after jump shot he quickly becomes a crowd favorite.”
Berry’s report adds that Griffiths knocked down four threes in one first half alone to help his team jump out to a 20-point lead, then played sparingly once the outcome wasn’t in doubt.
Shaw pointed out Griffiths now ranks 51st overall in the newest 2027 Rivals150 update, with coaches from Butler, Ole Miss, Boston College and Auburn among those in the stands.
Shaw kept his final read simple, telling Berry that Griffiths already has plenty of production to his name with a lot of upside still left to tap into.
Key takeaways
- Chris Beard personally connected with Declan Griffiths through a Zoom call this month, per Zach Berry’s OMSpirit.com report.
- Griffiths ranks 50th in Rivals300 and 51st in the newest Rivals150 update for 2027.
- Ole Miss remains one of only three high major programs to offer Griffiths, and that list is expected to grow.
