TSSAA: Reggie Grimes, No. 1 football recruit in state, ruled eligible at Ravenwood

[kwc]

TSSAA: Reggie Grimes, No. 1 football recruit in state, ruled eligible at Ravenwood

TOM KREAGER | NASHVILLE TENNESSEAN | 2 hours ago

The top college football prospect in Tennessee for the Class of 2020 can play his senior season. 

Ravenwood senior Reggie Grimes II was ruled eligible to play this season by TSSAA executive director Bernard Childress on Friday, granting his hardship request, Grimes’ father told The Tennessean.

Grimes is the top prospect in the state and a four-star recruit for the Class of 2020 according to the 247Sports Composite. 

Grimes was ruled ineligible by the TSSAA after he moved to Ravenwood from Mt. Juliet. He and his sister Reghan Grimes changed schools after his dad accepted the defensive coordinator position at Ravenwood. 

Reghan Grimes a sophomore, is a three-sport athlete who plays volleyball, basketball and track and field.

"We felt like we had a good case," the elder Grimes said. "I'm glad the TSSAA saw it that way.

"I'm glad this distraction is over with. I told Reggie when we found out that we weren't going to interview about it. It was a distraction. It was time to move on. He said, 'Yes sir.'"

TSSAA rules state an athlete can transfer with a parent and be eligible immediately if they are a certified teacher at the original school and the new school.

The elder Grimes was a classified employee at Mt. Juliet, but has now obtained his teaching license and will be a physical education teacher at Ravenwood. 

The TSSAA confirmed that Grimes was eligible but could not comment on the ruling of the hardship. 

Grimes had 48 tackles with three for loss in 2018 while at Mt. Juliet. He the No. 3 weak-side defensive end in the country and No. 39 recruit nationally. 

His top five include Alabama, Florida State, South Carolina, Tennessee and Vanderbilt. He will make his college choice on Nov. 2, the day after the high school football regular-season finale.

The elder Grimes, a Hunters Lane graduate, played football lat Alabama and briefly with the New England Patriots. He said he was prepared to move the family into Ravenwood's school zone had the TSSAA ruled his children ineligible. That would have guaranteed the students' immediate eligibility.

"I told them before we left (Mt. Juliet) that I wouldn't put them in a position where they would have to miss time," the father said. "That was before we left Mt. Juliet. I told them not to worry about it, to handle their business. The eligibility is going to take care of itself and that I was going to handle it.

Even if they said, 'No, the rule is what it is,' then we would have just moved. There would have been as little as distraction on them as possible."

Reach Tom Kreager at 615-259-8089 or tkreager@tennessean.com and on Twitter @Kreager 

Edited August 17, 2019 by kwc

[MJGOLDENBEARS]

Funny how his dad says hes glad the “distraction” is over with.... Wouldn’t taking your son from a top 5 6a program that he’s played the last 3 seasons for, right before the start of his senior season, be a huge distraction ? I sense a lot of narcissism and egotism from the “elder”. Honestly Mount Juliet didn’t need that distraction playing for them anyways.  On a side note people should look into a player from last years MJ squad named Bryan Aiken, he only played his senior year of football and dominated on the Dline next to Grimes, accumulated 4x the stats Grimes did. Now Bryan is on the Vols squad for next year. Dad must’ve been jealous of a first year player taking all the shine away from his prestigious son.

Edited August 17, 2019 by MJGOLDENBEARS

[ItsAlwaysSunnyInAtwood]

8 minutes ago, MJGOLDENBEARS said:

Funny how his dad says hes glad the “distraction” is over with.... Wouldn’t taking your son from a top 5 6a program that he’s played the last 3 seasons for, right before the start of his senior season, be a huge distraction ? I sense a lot of narcissism and egotism from the “elder”. Honestly Mount Juliet didn’t need that distraction playing for them anyways.  On a side note people should look into a player from last years MJ squad named Bryan Aiken, he only played his senior year of football and dominated on the Dline next to Grimes, accumulated 4x the stats Grimes did. Now Bryan is on the Vols squad for next year. Dad must’ve been jealous of a first year player taking all the shine away from his prestigious son.

Sounds like sour grapes to me

[kingofthenorth]

From what I have seen of the kid he is not that good. He is just a really big athlete that can run. No COD and very stiff from my perspective. Colleges don't recruit football players anymore they recruit measurables. 48 tackles in 13 games makes you the number 1 recruit in the state? Less than 4 tackles per game.

Edited August 17, 2019 by kingofthenorth

[HTV]

55 minutes ago, WarEagleCartman said:

Sounds like sour grapes to me

Yep. A bushel basket of them. 

[ocac]

People have lost their mind if they think TSSAA was going to rule the #1 recruit in the state as ineligible. I don’t care what the situation is/was, he was going to play.  A buddy of mine told me he could have lived in Mt Juliet Fieldhouse and he was going to be ruled eligible.  TSSAA did not want that hanging over their heads.

[FBfan26]

17 hours ago, HTV said:

Yep. A bushel basket of them. 

More like a vine yard

[FBfan26]

18 hours ago, kingofthenorth said:

From what I have seen of the kid he is not that good. He is just a really big athlete that can run. No COD and very stiff from my perspective. Colleges don't recruit football players anymore they recruit measurables. 48 tackles in 13 games makes you the number 1 recruit in the state? Less than 4 tackles per game.

At the sametime I dont see no so good kids get recruited by the top programs in the country.

[FIREBIRD80]

8 hours ago, FBfan26 said:

At the sametime I dont see no so good kids get recruited by the top programs in the country.

Right!! I only watched 45 seconds of his film, and that kid is a football player. So who ever said MJ won't miss him, or he's not a good football player is totally lying!!!

Edited August 18, 2019 by FIREBIRD80

[TheBorn7]

On 8/17/2019 at 2:35 PM, MJGOLDENBEARS said:

Funny how his dad says hes glad the “distraction” is over with.... Wouldn’t taking your son from a top 5 6a program that he’s played the last 3 seasons for, right before the start of his senior season, be a huge distraction ? I sense a lot of narcissism and egotism from the “elder”. Honestly Mount Juliet didn’t need that distraction playing for them anyways.  On a side note people should look into a player from last years MJ squad named Bryan Aiken, he only played his senior year of football and dominated on the Dline next to Grimes, accumulated 4x the stats Grimes did. Now Bryan is on the Vols squad for next year. Dad must’ve been jealous of a first year player taking all the shine away from his prestigious son.

Saban doesn't agree with your sour grapes assessment. Saban doesn't just offer anyone. Try hiding your butthurt better. 

[MJGOLDENBEARS]

7 minutes ago, TacticalTide said:

 

Jealous of having a distraction on my team? No, I’m just simply being outspoken on a topic that probably bothered a lot of the Mount Juliet players, his friends, coaches.... etc. Saying I’m jealous is a simple minded high school comeback. Now onward to Stewart’s Creek. 

Also ill remember this comment when he is a dud in College.

Edited August 18, 2019 by MJGOLDENBEARS

[thegreatone36]

42 minutes ago, MJGOLDENBEARS said:

Jealous of having a distraction on my team? No, I’m just simply being outspoken on a topic that probably bothered a lot of the Mount Juliet players, his friends, coaches.... etc. Saying I’m jealous is a simple minded high school comeback. Now onward to Stewart’s Creek. 

Also ill remember this comment when he is a dud in College.

Just the pure fact that he couldn't put up stats last year, against inferior high school players, with a D1 SEC talent playing next to him, SPEAKS VOLUMES