Virginia among final eight programs for nation’s No. 1-ranked cornerback

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Posted on Wednesday, Apr. 8, 2020, 11:08 pm

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By Jerry Ratcliffe

Tony Grimes (Photo: Twitter)

Virginia hasn’t signed a 5-star football prospect since 2014 when Mike London’s staff hauled in both Quin Blanding and Andrew Brown from the vaunted 757 recruiting area.

Bronco Mendenhall’s Cavaliers made the cut on Wednesday night for the nation’s No.1-ranked cornerback, in Virginia Beach’s Tony Grimes. The Princess Anne HS 5-star announced on his 18th birthday Wednesday night that he had narrowed his list of finalists to eight schools.

While Grimes said there is no leader for his services, his list of finalists include: Virginia, Clemson, Ohio State, Penn State, Georgia, North Carolina, Texas A&M and Tennessee.

Eliminated from his previous list were Virginia Tech, Alabama, LSU, Texas, Maryland, South Carolina and Oklahoma.

Grimes, rated the No. 7 overall prospect at any position in the nation, said he will announce his final decision on Dec. 1.

The 6-foot, 180-pound defensive standout has received 41 offers. He has visited Clemson a few times, including last season’s home game against visiting A&M.

Grimes, who posted 48 tackles and four interceptions last season, reportedly has recorded a 4.20 timing in the 40-yard dash and has a 33.8-inch vertical jump.

He has been impressed by Virginia defensive backfield coach Nick Howell, who also serves as the Cavaliers’ co-defensive coordinator with Kelly Poppinga, and the fact that UVA’s present staff has put defensive players into the NFL, including Juan Thornhill (Chiefs), Anthony Harris (Vikings), Micah Kiser (Rams), Andrew Brown (Bengals), Chris Peace (Chargers), Tim Harris (49ers) and Quin Blanding (Panthers practice squad). Also, Bryce Hall is expected to be drafted in this month’s NFL Draft, along with Jordan Mack.

Grimes has trained with some former UVA players that he admires. Here’s a look at his junior season highlights: