How Tony Grimes Could Change UNC Football

Grimes is one of the highest rated recruit in Tar Heel football history. He offers true legitimacy to a 2021 class that has been making a lot of noise.

Alright, that’s a bold title.

Simply put, Tony Grimes is one of the most important recruits in the recent history of the program.

He is a five-star athlete from Virginia Beach and is rated as the best cornerback in the 2021 class. He has been one of the most highly recruited players in the cycle and today he committed to the Tar Heels.

Grimes has made several visits to UNC over the last year, but probably the biggest factor in steering the ship to the Carolina blue light was the immense efforts of Dré Bly. The Tar Heels’ defensive backs coach is new to the coaching game but is one of the most respected athletes to ever come out of the Tidewater area. Bly hails from Chesapeake. A cornerback himself, Bly was an All-American at UNC. He earned two pro bowl appearances and was a Super Bowl champion in the NFL, and in 2018 he came back to Chapel Hill to join Mack Brown’s staff.

Bly has spent much of his recruiting time around his hometown. The obvious centerpiece has been Grimes. Over the last few months their relationship has grown significantly, and Grimes himself said that trust with coaches would play a big role in his recruitment.

Grimes joins the best UNC class in over a decade and pushes them to the number three overall ranking in the country. North Carolina rests behind Ohio State and Clemson.

Why It’s Such a Big Deal

Mack Brown and staff have built their incredible class on one major facet: in-state recruiting. The state of North Carolina has been flooded with talent over the last couple of years. That has aligned perfectly with the return of Brown to Chapel Hill. Of their now 17 commits, 14 of them are from NC.

Well, now the highest rated recruit is not from NC. Though Virginia Beach is not very far, being able to draw in the best players in the nation from other states will be integral to maintaining improvement. NC will not have 15 or more four-stars each year. If the Tar Heels are to continue hauling in top-10 recruiting classes, a player of Grimes quality needs to be in the conversation each cycle.

UNC does have a unique connection to Grimes, but it all has to start somewhere. This is not to say that it is a bad thing to focus on in-state recruiting. Most of the best programs in the country began their dynasties with local prospects. Clemson, Alabama and many more followed this path. However, once they reached a pinnacle, they started pulling in five-star prospects regardless of region.

This commitment also continues a stretch of relentless momentum for the Tar Heels. Some might have thought they reached their peak in recruiting. Instead, UNC pulls in its biggest recruit yet. Grimes could easily start a domino effect as well. He is the type of player that others want to suit up with. Whether that be other players from VA or those that have met him on the national circuits.

This might also be a watershed moment for Bly. It gives him a lot of validity, and he has been heavily recruiting some other prospects from the 757. George Wilson is a four-star defender from Virginia Beach and is set to make his college decision on July 12. Despite not extending an offer until May, UNC made his top four and is strongly in the conversation.

There are other top prospects such as 2022 RB George Pettaway that are on the recruiting board for Carolina. It’ll be interesting how UNC handles recruiting in Virginia moving forward, and it could very well become a pipeline to Chapel Hill.

Scouting Report

Tony Grimes is a special talent. He is a near perfect size for a lockdown corner at 6’ and 180 pounds. He possesses long arms as well, which make him all that more effective in coverage. He has the size to play safety, but the quickness and fluidity of a true cover corner. He knows how to leverage his size and speed on receivers.

Grimes is fast. His speed helps him get into positions to make plays and make up space when he wants to be aggressive. He’s really just a great athlete overall. His straight-line speed isn’t even what’s most impressive. He has fantastic lateral quickness. Fast feet and very quick hips make sure that he adjusts very well on breaking routes.

When you’re looking at four and five-star prospects, they’re mostly all going to be supremely athletic. Grimes has all the intangibles that put him over the edge. He studies the game and knows how to adjust. He knows the tricks of the game too. How to use his hands, but not enough to get a load of yellow flags on the field. He holds that killer instinct.

Grimes’ versatility has let him line up all over the field. At times he’s pressing receivers, at others he’s playing either one of the safety positions. Whatever place can get him in the best playmaking position.

This extends past defense, as well. Something that stands out when you watch his season highlights is the tremendous number of long runs he breaks off from the backfield or balls he catches as a receiver. Princess Anne obviously wants to keep its best player on the field as much as possible, so they get Grimes the ball in a lot of creative ways. His skills on offense definitely are not as refined as on defense, but he poses as a significant threat wherever he lines up. It would be interesting to see if Phil Longo would want to use his talents every now and then at UNC.

What this means is that he knows what to do when he gets his hands on the ball. If he grabs an interception or scoops up a fumble, he is looking to take it to the house. He can read the open field well and has nicely timed moves to break tackles.

One thing that Grimes has said that he is working on is off coverage. Meaning when he lines up at corner and gives the receiver several yards of space at the line of scrimmage. This technique allows the corner to break on the ball quicker and spend less energy going stride for stride with a receiver. It would make sense that Grimes would prefer press coverage at the high school level. His length and athleticism just don’t give lesser athletes much of a chance.

This is a smart thing to focus on going into his senior season. He will need to refine his off coverage by the time he arrives in Chapel Hill. The leap to ACC play will be a drastic one in comparison. Luckily Grimes has plenty of experience against top-level WRs via the numerous camps he attends.

Grimes will be competing for a starting job as soon as he steps on campus. Not only does he have the talent to achieve that, but he is a ferocious competitor. He thinks he’s the best, and he wants to show you. At times you can hear him talking to his competitors he lines up against. That is a common trait among the best corners.

He has been one of the most followed athletes in this cycle and in Carolina’s recent recruiting history. There is a reason for that. Grimes proves that there is something special going on in Chapel Hill and it just seems to be starting.