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Former Oklahoma DE Announces His New Destination

Reggie Grimes, a two-year starter in Norman, left via the transfer portal and has returned to his home state.

John E. Hoover

Reggie Grimes (14)
Reggie Grimes (14) / NATHAN J FISH/THE OKLAHOMAN / USA TODAY

Reggie Grimes is going home.

A two-year starting defensive end at Oklahoma in 2021 and 2022, Grimes announced on Twitter late Sunday night that he has committed to finish his career at the University of Memphis. 

Grimes hails from the Nashville suburb of Antioch, TN, in the central part of Tennessee, where he starred at Ravenwood High School.

The 6-foot-4, 278-pound Grimes played in eight games as true freshman in 2020, then broke into the starting lineup as a sophomore, starting five of the Sooners’ 13 games and making 18 total tackles. In 2022 he became a regular starter, with 10 starts in 13 games, and contributed 18 tackles. Grimes lost his starting job in 2023, however, and played in just four games due to injury. He took a redshirt last year and will have two seasons of eligibility remaining.

In his OU career, the former 4-star recruit played in 38 games, made 15 starts, totaled 43 tackles, 11.5 tackles for loss and 7.5 quarterback sacks.

He was an Under Armour All-American and was rated by ESPN as the nation’s No. 3 outside linebacker, while Rivals rated him as the No. 7 weak side defensive end in the nation.

Grimes was a two-time All-Big 12 Academic Team selection. 

It's the second straight year an Oklahoma defensive lineman has transferred to Memphis. Last year, defensive tackle Josh Ellison left OU for the Tigers and made 30 tackles for the Tigers in 2023.

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John E. Hoover

JOHN E. HOOVER

John is an award-winning journalist whose work spans five decades in Oklahoma, with multiple state, regional and national awards as a sportswriter at various newspapers. During his newspaper career, John covered the Dallas Cowboys, the Kansas City Chiefs, the Oklahoma Sooners, the Oklahoma State Cowboys, the Arkansas Razorbacks and much more. In 2016, John changed careers, migrating into radio and launching a YouTube channel, and has built a successful independent media company, DanCam Media. From there, John has written under the banners of Sporting News, Sports Illustrated, Fan Nation and a handful of local and national magazines while hosting daily sports talk radio shows in Oklahoma City, Tulsa and statewide. John has also spoken on Capitol Hill in Oklahoma City in a successful effort to put more certified athletic trainers in Oklahoma public high schools. Among the dozens of awards he has won, John most cherishes his national "Beat Writer of the Year" from the Associated Press Sports Editors, Oklahoma's "Best Sports Column" from the Society of Professional Journalists, and Two "Excellence in Sports Medicine Reporting" Awards from the National Athletic Trainers Association. John holds a bachelor's degree in Mass Communications from East Central University in Ada, OK. Born and raised in North Pole, Alaska, John played football and wrote for the school paper at Ada High School in Ada, OK. He enjoys books, movies and travel, and lives in Broken Arrow, OK, with his wife and two kids.