(Photo via Jameer Grimsley; illustration by Dustin Smith, In All Kinds Of Weather)
On Friday afternoon, Florida landed former Texas defensive line signee D’Antre Robinson after he had second thoughts and the Longhorns let him out of his letter of intent.
Such a saga, where players’ final destinations are revealed after the buzzer sounds on the recruiting cycle and Signing Day has come and gone, is becoming more frequent. And for whatever other criticism you may have of Billy Napier and the Florida Gators, they are taking advantage of that.
Former Alabama wide receiver/cornerback signee Jameer Grimsley (Tampa, FL/Tampa Catholic High School) has decided that he wants to stay home and be a Gator after all. The move comes just one day after he entered the transfer portal.
Interestingly, new Alabama coach Kalen DeBoer did not let him out of his letter of intent, forcing him to go through the NCAA transfer portal. It ultimately makes no difference whether a player is released from his letter of intent or he’s forced to go through the portal, but it’s a fascinating distinction. Texas coach Steve Sarkisian, for example, allowed Robinson to be released from his LOI, sparing him the portal process.
Either way, Jameer Grimsley is a Gator. And a promising one, at that.
You can watch his high school highlight tape here.
A 6’3 athlete who plays on both sides of the ball, Jameer Grimsley is an explosive athlete who can make defenders miss in open space as well as shed blocks to make the tackle on defense. He’s got great ball skills and knows how to go up and bring the ball down in traffic, which obviously can come into great use on either side of the ball, and his great hands also help him to poke the ball out and force turnovers or incompletions.
Better yet, Jameer Grimsley is more than happy to engage in hard contact, making him a strong tackler on defense and able to free himself up on pass patterns on offense. While Florida primarily sees him as a corner, he truly could be of use on either side of the ball at the next level, making him an excellent last-second addition to the Gators’ 2024 class.
