Finding the right fit for your college football program isn't just about what happens on the field, but off it as well. Today, Ohio State added a key piece. How will that commitment impact the Buckeyes?
This morning, Ohio State head coach Urban Meyer and wide receivers coach Zach Smith secured pledges from two of the nation's top wide receivers when Trevon Grimes, the No. 3 overall wideout, and Tyjon Lindsey, No. 5 overall, announced their commitment to the Buckeyes.
Let's take a look at what Grimes, a long-time Ohio State lean, brings to the Scarlet and Gray.
ON THE FIELD
There have been very few question marks surrounding Grimes' recruitment, as many have considered it simply a matter of “when” he would commit. The 6-foot-3, 202-pounder from Fort Lauderdale, Florida, St. Thomas Aquinas made the trip to campus for Friday Night Lights in July, and those in attendance got the sense that he was going to pull the trigger that weekend.
With his size and dominating skill set and Ohio State's lack of an established group of wide receivers, it wouldn't be a surprise to see Grimes — who had offers from nearly 30 of the top programs across the country — compete for playing time as a freshman.
IN THE CLASS
With Monday's five-star additions, Ohio State only put more distance between itself at Alabama for the top-ranked recruiting class on Monday. Grimes was initially scheduled to announce his college decision on Wednesday, be he and Lindsey did so together in a video filmed by Bleacher Report late last month.
Considered the third-best wideout and No. 15 overall player in his recruiting cycle, Grimes joins Miamisburg offensive tackle Josh Myers (No. 9); Bellflower, California, offensive guard Wyatt Davis (No. 17); Jacksonville, Florida, cornerback Shaun Wade (No. 18); Lindsey (No. 24); and Hyattsville, Maryland, defensive end Chase Young (No. 31) as five-star prospects committed to play for the Buckeyes. No other program, including second-rated Alabama, have more than two five-star pledges in the Class of 2017.
Ohio State was previously without a wide receiver commit in the recruiting cycle, but Grimes now gives the Buckeyes a No. 1 receiver for the foreseeable future.
The program will now await decisions from several other four- and five-star recruits, and it remains to be seen if the program opts to bring in another wideout if the numbers allow. Four-star Cleveland Heights' Jaylen Harris recently included Ohio State in his top five schools, but the addition of Grimes and Lindsey now make his recruitment less of a priority for head coach Urban Meyer and company.
THE INTANGIBLES
Coming from a big-time program like St. Thomas Aquinas, the two-time defending Florida 7A state champions, Grimes has already experienced what it's like to play on the big-time stage. His senior season will be more of the same, as the Raiders are set to play against three state champions this season: 4A champ Booker T. Washington of Miami, Florida; 8A champ Pembroke Pines of Flanagan, Florida; and Bishop Gorman of Las Vegas, Nevada.
Such a schedule readies Grimes for the grind of a Big Ten slate, but will also afford him the opporunity to shine on a national platform. Not to mention, he'll get to spend time with his fellow commits quarterback Tate Martell, wide receiver Tyjon Lindsey and defensive tackle Haskell Garrett when St. Thomas Aquinas meets Bishop Gorman in late September.
