'Priority' CB Jameer Grimsley Weighing Alabama's Stability, Florida's Potential
GAINESVILLE, Fla. -- Despite his five-plus-month commitment to No. 4 Alabama, Tampa (Fla.) Catholic cornerback Jameer Grimsley continues to consider his home-state team in his recruitment, even following Florida's third consecutive losing season, the program's first such streak since the mid-1940s.
Grimsley officially visited the Gators this past weekend, fewer than two weeks before he's scheduled to sign with the College Football Playoff-contending Crimson Tide. It marked his second trip to UF since his July 1 pledge.
Amid his three-day stay in Gainesville, Gators head coach Billy Napier revealed the program's plans to replace recently fired defensive backs coach Corey Raymond, who played a key part in Grimsley's recruitment to Florida throughout the 2024 cycle.
The team intends to poach an assistant from the Los Angeles Chargers, although the move has not yet been announced by UF.
"They just got a new DB coach, Will Harris, just hired him," Grimsley told All Gators following the visit. "Happy to meet with him [soon], you know, and we'll see how things go from there.”
The aforementioned meeting between Harris, Grimsley and other Florida coaches is likely to occur on Friday, UF defensive coordinator Austin Armstrong was said to have told Grimsley.
"Hopefully it's earlier than that," Grimsley remarked.
“They were telling me [Harris] played for Pete Carroll. He was coaching in the NFL, so he must know something. But yeah, I don’t really know too much about him. That’s why I’m looking forward to meeting with him.”
Consider Grimsley no fool for weighing such drastically different options as the end of his college recruitment ends. He shared his understanding of the state of each program and what his decision entails: choosing between a perennial championship contender and a program in the depths of a rebuild.
Napier has emphasized to Grimsley how a prospect like himself aligning with the Gators can elevate Florida back to postseason contention and glory. The head coach's personal involvement has softened the blow of Raymond's dismissal relative to Grimsley's UF recruitment.
“He said I was a priority," Grimsley shared. "[Napier said] 'We need guys trying to make Florida what they used to be. Winning the SEC, competing for national championships.'
"At the end of the day, coach Napier was the one that really wanted me, obviously coach C-Ray wanted me, but Napier is the one that offers the kids. Everybody else on the staff wanted me here."
Grimsley is regarded as the No. 17 cornerback and No. 186 overall prospect in the class of 2024 by the 247Sports composite rankings. He has acquired 37 scholarship offers, including nine from SEC programs, with Florida's coming this past March.
A blue-chip prospect with no shortage of college choices, Grimsley considers Alabama's stability under head coach Nick Saban attractive compared to that of his other suitors — or a lack thereof.
“The only guarantee with Bama is that Saban’s not going nowhere," Grimsley stated.
"That's, I feel like, the difference whereas Florida, they don't like to give time for coaches to try to build a program. Coaches get fired for winning 10 games, so you got to start winning fast. So that's the only thing I can question a little bit about Florida is stability in the coaching job. I know coaches come in and out all the time. It’s a business, but you know, the head coach is what usually stays the same.”
Following his formal introduction to Harris this week, Grimsley will weigh his belief in Napier as Florida's long-term leader and the risk of leaving the security of the Crimson Tide behind for the potential reward of returning the Gators to greater heights.
"Do I want to be part of a rebuild situation where potentially Florida could become good if we get the right dudes or go somewhere that’s already established?" Grimsley pondered.
"That’s something I got to figure out for myself, and after meeting this DB coach, see how things go from there.”
The class of 2024 Early Signing Period will take place between Dec. 20-22, 2023.
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