Trevon Grimes Looks to Take On Big Role for the Gators in 2020

Just two seasons removed from transferring into Gainesville from Ohio State, Trevon Grimes is gearing up to face his toughest challenge to date in year three as a Gator.

That challenge? His role as the de-facto WR1 next year.

After announcing that he would return for his senior season due to the appeal of leading a unit in National Championship contention in 2020, Grimes immediately became a leader of the locker room.

As the most experienced wideout left from the 2019 season, Grimes is set to take over a young wide receiver group with his development on and off the field.

In a rather crowded wide receiver room the past few seasons, Grimes has had to split targets with a multitude of NFL caliber weapons in Van Jefferson, Tyrie Cleveland, and Freddie Swain, as well as Josh Hammond.

However, next season, Grimes gets the shot to step up as the leader of the group that is deftly in need of one.

After making huge strides into a complete player following his sophomore season, Grimes was only able to tally a mere 491 yards on 33 catches and three touchdowns last season and was a victim of the Gators spread out passing attack in 2019.

Likely to be a high priority within the offense as both a deep threat and possession receiver, Grimes has the skillset to be a difference-maker.

Standing at 6-5, 214 lbs., Grimes is the epitome of modern receivers at the University of Florida. With great length and a large catch radius, the uber-athletic wideout has the skills to produce in a big way without having to split targets as he’s done in the past.

Despite a lack of consistent production, Grimes thrived in turning possession catches into big yardage.

With one of the highest marks on the team in yards per catch at 14.9 yards—only behind Kadarius Toney—as well as yards after the catch at 8.2 on average last season, Grimes is a big-play threat with the ball in his hands.

That can also be seen by the fact that Grimes turned 23 of his 33 receptions into first downs in 2019, per Pro Football Focus.

With his continuous improvement on footwork and having served under the tutelage of route running specialist Van Jefferson, Grimes has grown tremendously in all facets of the game.

Accompanying his skillset with the blazing speed for a big-bodied receiver—having a 4.48 40-yard dash on record—that Grimes presents with and without the football, he can beat the opposition as much with his feet as he can with his length.

For example, in a game last season against Vanderbilt, Grimes received a pass on the sideline from Kyle Trask. Looking as if he would take the first down but likely be stopped soon thereafter, Grimes burned past the defenders for one of his three touchdowns on the season.

In doing so, he extended the Gators lead to 21 just a week after their hopes of being crowned SEC East champs were ended against Georgia in Jacksonville.

In addition, Grimes showed off his speed in a hustle play against LSU last season. After a late interception by Kristian Fulton on Trask that was later called back due to a penalty, as the intended receiver, Grimes made the effort play to track down Fulton—who clocked a 4.47 40-dash during the NFL Combine—with ease on what seemed to be a pick-six.

This play showed more than just his speed but his heart for the game as well after being down 42-28 in the last minutes.

Going into next season, Grimes has a legitimate opportunity to emerge as one of the SEC’s most dangerous weapons given his talent.

With the mix of length, game-changing speed, an improving route-running prowess, and big-play ability, Grimes has it all as a wide receiver looking for a breakout season in their final year of college eligibility.

Perhaps the most important aspect of his game will be his aforementioned heart in the upcoming season.

In doing this, it would require a combination of his passion on the field as well as the way he asserts himself as a leader within the locker room to take himself to the next level.

Without a doubt having the intangibles to dominate on the field, his role off the field is even more important for not just his own but the team’s overall success.

In 2020, Grimes must embrace the void of the captain that was left by Swain and Jefferson, given their departures. Being able to uplift the younger talent while also pushing them to be the best they can be is crucial for the development of the position.

For young guys like Ja’Markis Weston, Trent Whittemore, and Dionte Marks, as well as more veteran players like Jacob Copeland and Kadarius Toney, Grimes is going to be relied upon to carry the load from a knowledge standpoint next season.

By combining increased production on the field and increased vocality among his teammates and coaches, Grimes shapes up to be a vital aspect of the Gators offense and their aspirations as a team next season.