Oklahoma lands Rivals100 Tennessee DE Reggie Grimes

When Reggie Grimes took a visit to Oklahoma last month, he went into the trip with an open mind with the hopes of learning more about one of the nation's top programs. Once he arrived on campus, his eyes were opened. Now, just six weeks later, he's a Sooner commit.

"I didn't know what anything was as far as the Sooner Schooner or anything like that. It crashed when I was there and that was pretty crazy to see in person," Grimes told Rivals.com late last week. "I got to know all the traditions and all the Crimson and White stuff. I didn't know any of that. I went up there and got to see what it was really like and I'm glad I did."

Grimes had taken countless visits throughout his career as a recruit, one that started with scholarship offers rolling in as early as his freshman year. But his trip for a game at Oklahoma was one of the few he took outside of the Southeast. He gained a new respect for the Sooners fan base. It also changed the entire trajectory of his recruitment.

"It was cool. It was a great environment," he said. "I'm glad I went out there and got to see the other side of things. How it is outside of the south. I'm really glad I took that visit"

With defensive coordinator Alex Grinch putting an emphasis on recruiting elite athletes for the defensive side of the ball to match the Sooners high-powered offense, Grimes became a very intriguing prospect. While in Norman, Grinch and the Oklahoma coaches laid out a plan for how Grimes would fit in the scheme and that was a conversation that resonated with Grimes.

"They call it the speed defense and they said it was tailor made for guys like me," Grimes said. "As far as I'm concerned those coaches aren't going anywhere anytime soon. So as far as me going there is concerned I could see an opportunity to play."

Grimes recruitment took plenty of twists and turns along the way, including when he was on campus at Florida State when Willie Taggart was fired.

"We literally just had breakfast with him and his family that day," Grimes said. "We were all sort of confused. Coach Haggins met with us after everything happened and just told us it's a business. It was definitely something strange."

Being on campus when Taggart was fired, combined with rumors about Will Muschamp's long-term security at South Carolina also helped the Sooners seal the deal.

"The school said that they were 100 percent with him but at the same time the same thing just happened at Florida State, so it is what it is," Grimes said.

Grimes is commitment No. 19 for the Sooners in the Class of 2020 and is now the school's highest-ranked defensive commitment.