VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. - On Tuesday, Princess Anne High School's five-star cornerback Tony Grimes committed to play football at the University of North Carolina.
"We most definitely can win a national title and we will," Grimes said about his future college. "Either if it’s my first year, my second year, or my third year. Most definitely before I leave we’re winning a natty."
Grimes had narrowed down his offers from more than 30 schools to a final four of Ohio State, Texas A&M, Georgia and UNC.
While Grimes eyes winning in Carolina Blue in the future, North Carolina gets a huge win in the present.
A commitment from Grimes means a commitment from the top-ranked corner in the country, and UNC managed to pick up a star of Hampton Roads present with the help of a star of Hampton Roads past.
"Dré Bly, he did it. He did it in the 757, he did it at UNC and he did it in the league," Grimes said. "He's a hall of famer, pro bowler.”
Dré Bly is a Chesapeake native who starred at North Carolina and played in the NFL for 11 seasons. He's now UNC's cornerbacks coach and the guy who made the call to Grimes with an offer to play in Chapel Hill.
Grimes is looking to follow in Bly's footsteps by going from the 757, to UNC and eventually the National Football League.
"I'm really looking to where I can play and how they're gonna set me up and put me in the right position where the NFL needs me," Grimes said. "Not where the college needs me, where the NFL needs me.
"Everyone in the league wants a corner that can lock down the best receiver, and that's gonna be me. I can press man and I can also switch it up. I can play zone and I can come down and tackle."
Grimes also addressed the possibility of enrolling early at UNC. If the high school football season is pushed to the winter or spring because of the coronavirus pandemic, he'll forgo his senior season at Princess Anne. If the high school football season goes according to plan and games are played in the fall, Grimes will play with the decision to enroll early undetermined until a later date.
