Commitment breakdown: Five-star Tony Grimes chooses North Carolina
After a years long recruitment, five-star Tony Grimes has announced his commitment to North Carolina. The Virginia Beach (Va.) Princess Anne star cornerback chose the Tar Heels over Georgia, Texas A&M, and Ohio State. Below, Rivals.com explores what Grimes’ pledge means for the Tar Heels.
WATCH: Five-star Tony Grimes announces his decision
CLASS OF 2021 RANKINGS: Rivals250 | Position | Team | State
CLASS OF 2022: Top 100
WHAT NORTH CAROLINA IS GETTING:
Grimes has all the measurables college coaches are looking for in the prototype cornerback. He is about 6-feet tall and just shy of 200-pounds so he has the size to matchup with bigger receivers but has the quickness and speed to stick with smaller receivers. Grimes has very crisp footwork, great instincts, and has no problem playing physical press coverage or playing from depth. His short area quickness, awareness, and anticipation allows him to play effectively in zone coverage but his footwork, instincts, and physicality make him one of the best defensive backs in the nation in man coverage. The speed of the college game is different than in high school but Grimes has the skillset to be an immediate contributor at North Carolina, a team that really needs a lockdown cornerback like Grimes.
WHAT IT MEANS FOR THE TAR HEELS:
North Carolina hit a home run here. Not only have they dominated recruiting in state talent in a very talented year in the Tar Heel State, but they've now expanded to poaching a top player from a neighboring state. Following this blueprint is the way the Tar Heels become a consistent national contender and the future looks bright for them as long as the players in this recruiting class pan out. Credit to Dre Bly and his tireless work to build a strong relationship with Grimes and his family through his connections in the Virginia Beach area. The way that he has developed defensive backs on an individual basis before arriving at North Carolina as a coach also played a big role in gaining Grimes' confidence.
The Tar Heels are stacked with young big time safety prospects but are in need of more quality cornerbacks. Grimes will fit in perfectly with the Tar Heels depth chart. He was already planning on graduating in December so he could enroll in January but now Grimes is planning on taking a summer school class so he can enroll at North Carolina for the fall semester.