FLORIDA: Transfer eyes waiver to play in 2018,
Ex-Buckeye Grimes is applying for hardship waiver.
Trevon Grimes’ transfer from Ohio State to Florida is huge news for the Gators no matter what.
A former top-50 recruit, the wide receiver could come in and be a playmaker for a Florida offense in desperate need of one. Interestingly, however, Grimes’ Gators debut could come sooner than many expect.
According to a report by the Sun Sentinel, Grimes is applying for a hardship waiver that could make him eligible for 2018, as opposed to sitting out a year, as most transfers do. In October, Grimes temporarily left the Ohio State program to deal with a family health issue.
Should he receive his waiver, Grimes could well be lining up across from another transfer with immediate eligibility, as Florida also landed Ole Miss transfer Van Jefferson last week. Combine those two newcomers with Dan Mullen’s newly installed offense, and the Gators could be in line for a quick turnaround in 2018.
Rivalry to continue in SEC: Randy Russell and Divaad Wilson spent their high school careers as rivals, and that will continue in college.
The four-star defensive backs from Miami signed their letters of intent Wednesday. Russell decided to stick with his commitment to Florida, while Wilson joined Georgia’s top-ranked recruiting class. Both players will be early enrollees.
Russell went to high school at Miami Carol City, and Wilson attended Miami Northwestern. In the past two years, the teams met in the playoffs, and the winner went on to win the Class 6A state championship.
Despite their past and future football ties, the players are close friends off the field. They became tight during the recruiting process, and that relationship wasn’t affected by the innercity rivalry. Their bond is much bigger than football.
“We’re like brothers,” Russell said. “We can relate to each other because we come from the same struggle.”
Wilson adds, “It ain’t sweet down here.”
Russell and Wilson almost teamed up together with the Gators, but the coaching changes at UF caused Wilson to switch his commitment from Florida to Georgia.
“I guess we’re just meant to be rivals,” Russell said.