BY DON WILLIAMS l Avalanche-Journal

His grandmother wanted to give Delans Griffin the name “DeLance,’’ and then she thought of something better.

“Then my grandmother changed it to an ’s’ at the end,’’ Griffin said, “so I could be different from everybody else.’’

Evidently, he didn’t stop there at being one of a kind. As a running back for Clinton, Okla., High School, Griffin ran for 1,962 yards last season and scored a combined 40 touchdowns rushing, receiving and returning kicks.

On Friday, Griffin made an oral commitment to Texas Tech.

“He’s obviously a very talented athlete,’’ said Mike Lee, who is headed into his 28th year in coaching and 20th as head coach at Clinton. “We’ve had, over the years, a lot of good players go through here, and I can’t think of anybody that’s any more talented as a big-time or big-play player than he is. Every time he gets the ball in his hands, you think he’s fixing to score.’’

Griffin, an I-formation tailback, said he is 5-foot-10 and 178 pounds. He also was offered scholarships by Tulsa, Arizona, Kansas, Kansas State, Missouri and Colorado.

But Tech’s staff was the first to recruit him, Griffin said, and he thinks he’s a perfect fit for the Red Raiders.

“The coaches are nice there,’’ he said. “They all have a good personality, and coach (Clay) McGuire seems like a good overall coach. I just love their offense. I like catching the ball as much as I like running the ball, so I think I’m going to fit in real well with Texas Tech in that offense.’’

Clinton, a Class 3A high school, won state with a 14-0 record during Griffin’s sophomore year, when he rushed for about 700 yards, and went 10-3 and lost in a state semifinal last season. Griffin averaged 11.1 yards per carry and rushed for 33 TDs.

The Rivals.com recruiting service ranks Griffin as the No. 6 prospect in Oklahoma and the No. 24 running back recruit in the nation.

“He’s fast, quick, strong,’’ Lee said. “He’s got the whole package. He won state in the 100 meters last year and finished second in the 200. He has the quickness, too. He has great feet in space and he’s pretty strong. He runs between the tackles well.’’

Griffin’s state-winning times were 11.28 seconds in the 100 meters and 22.10 in the 200.

Griffin said he has not yet met NCAA freshman eligibility requirements.

Oral commitments are non-binding before Feb. 3, when the national signing period begins for 2010 graduates.

But Griffin said there’s no chance he’ll change his mind about signing with Tech.

“Once I’m committed, I’m committed,’’ he said. “I’m going to trust the person that wants to sign you. I’m not going to back down.’’

Tech has 15 commitments and room for about six or seven more recruits.

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