Better Know a Buckeye: Trevon Grimes

This week's Better Know a Buckeye feature continues with a profile of Trevon Grimes, a wide receiver prospect from Fort Lauderdale.

Trevon Grimes comes to Ohio State from the St. Thomas Aquinas program in Fort Lauderdale. That program has been kind to Ohio State, giving us two Bosas and Damon Arnette since Urban Meyer became Ohio State's coach. Grimes knew from his first visit to Ohio State after his freshman year in high school that he wanted to be part of this Aquinas-Ohio State pipeline. However, he waited until near the start of his senior year to make his decision, choosing Ohio State over in-state powers of Florida, Florida State, and Miami.

I retell this story below and what attracted him to Ohio State over a myriad of opportunities closer to home. Thereafter, I provide a scouting report of an outside receiving prospect with an elite combination of size and speed. I conclude with a projection of a redshirt in 2017 and some junior-year highlight film for the reader to watch at the end of the feature.

HIS RECRUITMENT

Trevon Grimes, a top-50 prospect in his class, was always going to be some program's prized recruit. Attending St. Thomas Aquinas, arguably the best high school talent factory in the country, only helped his visbility and decreased the uncertainty scouts had about this potential at the next level. It showed at the end of his freshman year when he started to acquire scholarship offers from SEC programs like Auburn, LSU, South Carolina, and Tennessee.

Ohio State also arrived on the ground floor of Grimes' recruitment when it offered after Grimes visited Columbus for Friday Night Lights back in 2014. Here, Ohio State helped itself by having made St. Thomas Aquinas a priority when Meyer arrived in November 2011. Meyer knew the program well from his time at Florida, giving him Marcus Gilbert and Major Wright in consecutive recruiting cycles. Cris Carter's presence in the St. Thomas Aquinas program helped too. Meyer made the school a priority in his national focus, leading to the signature of Ohio State legacy Joey Bosa in 2013. He had gone to the well again in the summer of 2014, courting Damon Arquette (then a South Carolina commit in the 2015 class) and Trevon Grimes to campus to ply their craft at the event.

The visit left a strong impression in multiple ways. He enjoyed his interactions with Zach Smith and Urban Meyer. Those conversations gave him a preview of how Ohio State would continue to recruit him. He also remarked that it was noteworthy he met Shelley Meyer. Not every recruit that attends Friday Night Lights gets that opportunity.

Grimes was clear in his assessment of Ohio State. If it offered, it'd be his immediate number one. He loved the campus, the coaches, the atmosphere, the field, and the facilities. He just did not if he could expect an offer and suggested he might have to talk to Cris Carter to pry some private information from him.

Grimes did not have to wait long. Ohio State offered him the next day. For Grimes, the offer felt great and immediately catapulted the Buckeyes to No. 1 on his list of offers that otherwise included some prominent SEC programs.

We know this after the fact because Grimes eventually signed with Ohio State, but there's little reason to believe Grimes ultimately did not have his mind set after that summer in 2014.  Grimes was consistently effusive in his praise for Ohio State, listing the Buckeyes as his No. 1 choice through various stages in his recruitment. He returned to Ohio State for Friday Night Lights in 2015 and visited Ohio State more than other schools during his sophomore and junior years. Grimes would even display his affinity for the Buckeyes in opportune spots, like a June 2015 Ohio State satellite camp in South Florida.

5-stars Trevon Grimes & Nick Bosa throwing up that "O" @ The #OhioState satellite camp. http://t.co/qXSKPZCXRs pic.twitter.com/aOghN2FI4B

— Ryan Bartow (@RyanBartow) June 17, 2015

However, Grimes withheld making a decision upon the advice of his teammates and coaches. Later in his junior year, he was even taking visits to the in-state powers. He attended Florida's junior day on January 30, 2016. He visited Miami the next month for the same event. He drove north to Tallahassee for Florida State's spring game.

Ohio State never fretted its position nor did it appear that Grimes was seriously reconsidering Ohio State as his No. 1 choice. He reiterated Ohio State's standing at the top of his list a few weeks after Florida State's spring game. He returned to Ohio State for a camp that July. The decision that ultimately came on Aug. 22 was academic.

HIS COMMITMENT

Trevon Grimes committed to Ohio State on August 22, 2016 as the 14th member of what would become Ohio State's full 2017 recruiting class. He chose Ohio State over several major offers, principally the in-state powers of Florida, Florida State, and Miami.

Grimes will also be the first in the nine-year history of these Better Know a Buckeye profiles to have announced his decision with a Bleacher Report video. Grimes teamed with Tyjon Lindsey to announce their decisions during a stylized dodgeball game. Both chose Ohio State though Lindsey opted for Nebraska near signing day.

Grimes expressed relief that his recruitment was over. The choice for Ohio State was always a fait accompli since 2014, but the decision allowed Grimes to focus on his senior season.

WHERE HE EXCELS

Grimes is a physically imposing wide receiver prospect that may have been a five-star had he not torn his ACL in the game against Bishop Gorman in the fall. He's a true outside receiver who has a high ceiling at the position.

Defenders who assume Grimes will manhandle them at the line of scrimmage will be surprised when he's blowing past them on a go route. Grimes' first step off the line of scrimmage is elite. He runs like a gazelle too.

St. Thomas Aquinas loved chucking the ball deep to Grimes because defenders were unsure they could hang with him on a deep route. He got generous cushion for it and was still able to blow by defenders. However, Grimes could do more than use his fluid athleticism and speed to escape defenders. He shows a great awareness of where he is and where the ball is. He uses body to post-up defenders and high-point the football. Thereafter, one stiff-arm to a defensive back is enough to spring Grimes for a touchdown.

The real hidden beauty in Grimes' highlight film is how comfortable he is on fade routes. Fade routes are hard for amateurs to master and Grimes is already far ahead of the curve, even selecting on four-star receiver prospects.

MUST WORK ON

Defenders at the high school level seemed reticent to press Grimes because of concern for his speed. Yet, what Grimes has in speed and size, he lacks in strength. In other words, I'd press Grimes every play if I were a defensive coordinator because, right now, Grimes hasn't shown the ability to beat press coverage. That will come in time and in the weight room, but it's something I noticed after watching his film.

Grimes will also need to work on his route tree. I mention this for every receiving prospect but it's true in Grimes' case. Grimes' routes at St. Thomas Aquinas focused on flies, deep posts, and fades with the occasional tunnel screen and slant. That was effective for what his high school coaches asked him to do, but Ohio State will need him to become an intermediate receiving option if he will start for Ohio State's offense.

REDSHIRT?

Grimes appears to be making strides in his recovery after his ACL tear. He'll also have more opportunity for early playing time given some of the attrition in the receiver corp and the new coaches on offense. Yet, Ohio State still has plenty of options and can afford to preserve Grimes for 2017, allowing him to focus on his recovery and adding strength. I expect Grimes will redshirt this year.

HIGHLIGHTS

Here are junior-year highlights of Grimes.