Freshman Grimes reaches end of recovery road

Trevon Grimes vowed just over 10 months ago that he’d be ready for Ohio State’s season. Five days away from the opener at Indiana, it appears the freshman receiver is good to go.

That’s no small feat, considering he suffered a torn anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee playing for St. Thomas Aquinas of Fort Lauderdale, Florida, on Sept. 30.

“One thing I am certain about is I will be back and stronger

“And all my brothers, I appreciate y’all, I love y’all; keep getting on me. Go Bucks.”

—Trevon Grimes, who is back at full strength after ACL surgery Sept. 30

than ever, and the man above has a plan for me!” Grimes wrote on social media before his surgery a couple of weeks later.

Late this week, he made good on his pledge. Ohio State announced via Twitter that Grimes had the black stripe removed from his practice helmet. It’s a ritual instituted by coach Urban Meyer to signify a newcomer has earned the right to play.

“I appreciate all the wide receivers that helped me out, coach (Zach) Smith for staying on me, strength coaches for helping me out,” Grimes said on the video that accompanied the tweet. “And all my brothers, I appreciate y’all, I love y’all; keep getting on me. Go Bucks.”

When Grimes committed to the Buckeyes in August 2016, recruiting analysts speculated he might instantly add to their downfield passing game. It was an element anyone could see was missing from last year’s receiving corps.

At 6 feet 3, 210 pounds and with breakaway speed, Grimes was considered the No. 6 receiver prospect nationally, according to the 247Sports composite average of the major recruiting services.

Then came the knee injury. Grimes’ recovery went well, though when he reported to OSU in June with the half of the freshman class that hadn’t enrolled early, he still was restricted to straight-ahead running.

He wasn’t clear to make the full cuts needed by receivers until after preseason camp started July 27, which helped explain Meyer’s synopsis this week of Grimes’ progress.

“His last 10 days have been much better than his first 10 days,” Meyer said.

Now it appears he is under consideration for playing time.

“He’s much improved,” Meyer said.

Another freshman who had his black stripe removed this week was running back Mitch Rossi, a walk-on from Franklin, Tennessee. He helped J.K. Dobbins — the first freshman to lose his stripe — with the workload brought on when returning starter Mike Weber was limited through the first several weeks because of a hamstring strain.