DanielHouse
Active member
- Joined
- Feb 8, 2017
- Messages
- 594
- Reaction score
- 248
- Points
- 43
The Gophers have received a commitment from wide receiver Randal Grimes, a transfer from USC.
The 6-foot-4, 205-pound wide receiver was a four-star prospect out of high school and grew up in Las Vegas, Nev. (Desert Pines High School), the same school as 2019 signee, Cameron Wiley and current safety Jordan Howden. He originally chose USC over offers from Nebraska, BYU, Tennessee and others.
Grimes recorded two receptions in two seasons at USC. He played in 2017 and recently redshirted last season. He will need to sit out next fall due to NCAA transfer rules, but will likely have two years of eligibility remaining. With the Trojans, Grimes impressed coaches in summer practice and earned a small amount of playing time as a freshman. He suffered a broken bone in his hand late in the 2017 season and the coaches decided to redshirt him in 2018.
P.J. Fleck indicated the Gophers would be more active in the transfer portal and Grimes helps fulfill that mission. It also fits the mold of wide receiver body types Minnesota was looking to add at the wide receiver position.
At 6-foot-4, Grimes has a wide catch radius, plenty of long speed and athleticism/length. The Gophers wanted to add more size and mismatch ability to the room and Grimes will certainly fit that mold. With all of his rare athletic traits, wide receiver coach Matt Simon and P.J. Fleck have a receiver they can develop. The key will be polishing his route running and making sure he his fluid in and out of breaks. This has been a proven specialty of this staff, especially when they receive players with rare athletic traits like Grimes. With all of this length, dropping your hips can be extra difficult without a distinct focus on the technique. After focusing on the details, he has the potential to develop into a mismatch nightmare the Gophers can deploy.
In high school, following an injury to a starter, he showed off all of his versatility when he was asked to play quarterback. While playing wide receiver as a junior, Grimes posted 26 receptions for 548 yards and seven touchdowns. Grimes moves very fluidly and is explosive when he gets the ball in space. Out of the bubble screen game, he sheds tackles and fights through contact. Grimes slides between tackles and moves well for a player with all of his size and mismatch ability. With a refinement of his technique, he has the chance to be a dynamic offensive weapon. At Minnesota, he’ll have every chance to use all of the skills he has at the wide receiver position.
<iframe src='//www.hudl.com/embed/video/3/6303419/5721ca490428ae20e4c4e12d' width='640' height='360' frameborder='0' allowfullscreen></iframe>
I recently talked with a mentor of Grimes’, who had this to say about the young wide receiver:
"He's confident because of his hard work, has a chip on his shoulder and is motivated to be a blessing in life to family and all people. Grimes has a smile that lights up the earth. He is the most humble and always looking to help. You have to be a special young person to be prepared to shine at Minnesota, Grimes is perfectly special. I have chills because the mix of him and P.J. Fleck is the best mix of a coach and student-athlete that I can imagine."
Stay tuned for a complete feature that will drop this week!
The 6-foot-4, 205-pound wide receiver was a four-star prospect out of high school and grew up in Las Vegas, Nev. (Desert Pines High School), the same school as 2019 signee, Cameron Wiley and current safety Jordan Howden. He originally chose USC over offers from Nebraska, BYU, Tennessee and others.
Grimes recorded two receptions in two seasons at USC. He played in 2017 and recently redshirted last season. He will need to sit out next fall due to NCAA transfer rules, but will likely have two years of eligibility remaining. With the Trojans, Grimes impressed coaches in summer practice and earned a small amount of playing time as a freshman. He suffered a broken bone in his hand late in the 2017 season and the coaches decided to redshirt him in 2018.
P.J. Fleck indicated the Gophers would be more active in the transfer portal and Grimes helps fulfill that mission. It also fits the mold of wide receiver body types Minnesota was looking to add at the wide receiver position.
At 6-foot-4, Grimes has a wide catch radius, plenty of long speed and athleticism/length. The Gophers wanted to add more size and mismatch ability to the room and Grimes will certainly fit that mold. With all of his rare athletic traits, wide receiver coach Matt Simon and P.J. Fleck have a receiver they can develop. The key will be polishing his route running and making sure he his fluid in and out of breaks. This has been a proven specialty of this staff, especially when they receive players with rare athletic traits like Grimes. With all of this length, dropping your hips can be extra difficult without a distinct focus on the technique. After focusing on the details, he has the potential to develop into a mismatch nightmare the Gophers can deploy.
In high school, following an injury to a starter, he showed off all of his versatility when he was asked to play quarterback. While playing wide receiver as a junior, Grimes posted 26 receptions for 548 yards and seven touchdowns. Grimes moves very fluidly and is explosive when he gets the ball in space. Out of the bubble screen game, he sheds tackles and fights through contact. Grimes slides between tackles and moves well for a player with all of his size and mismatch ability. With a refinement of his technique, he has the chance to be a dynamic offensive weapon. At Minnesota, he’ll have every chance to use all of the skills he has at the wide receiver position.
<iframe src='//www.hudl.com/embed/video/3/6303419/5721ca490428ae20e4c4e12d' width='640' height='360' frameborder='0' allowfullscreen></iframe>
I recently talked with a mentor of Grimes’, who had this to say about the young wide receiver:
"He's confident because of his hard work, has a chip on his shoulder and is motivated to be a blessing in life to family and all people. Grimes has a smile that lights up the earth. He is the most humble and always looking to help. You have to be a special young person to be prepared to shine at Minnesota, Grimes is perfectly special. I have chills because the mix of him and P.J. Fleck is the best mix of a coach and student-athlete that I can imagine."
Stay tuned for a complete feature that will drop this week!
Last edited: