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

Tom Kreager
The Tennessean

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 at Alabama and briefly in the NFL 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."

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