Receiver Grimes transfers to Florida

Trevon Grimes, who spent most of his Ohio State freshman season back home in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, dealing with an undisclosed family member’s illness, has transferred to the University of Florida, it was learned Friday.

New Florida coach Dan Mullen issued a statement on Twitter that confirmed the move.

“Welcome to the Florida family,” Mullen wrote, with the tweet including a graphic of Grimes in a Gators uniform.

Ohio State coach Urban Meyer could not be reached for comment. He and the Buckeyes, who had the past three days off, will convene in Dallas on Saturday to begin final preparations for the Cotton Bowl against Southern California on Dec. 29.

Grimes was one of the plums of OSU’s 2017 recruiting class. Despite missing half of his senior season at Aquinas High School in Fort Lauderdale after suffering a knee injury, he was rated the 15th-best overall prospect in the country when he committed to the Buckeyes in August 2016.

Recovered from the knee injury this past fall, Grimes was expected to step into the receiver rotation as the season progressed. But he requested a leave of absence to return home in early October.

Meyer, who flew to visit with Grimes and his family soon after the receiver left school, was hopeful he would return to OSU once the situation at home was sorted out. Now that won’t happen. “I will forever cherish the great moments I’ve had with all my brothers and coaches at Ohio State, and will always wish them nothing but the best,” Grimes said in a statement posted on social media. “As far as all of you wondering why, I’m gonna leave it at family health issues and (the) need to be closer to home.”