Receivers Grimes and Jefferson Eager to Catch on with Gators

Receiver Trevon Grimes, who grew up in south Florida, transferred into the program after a brief stint at Ohio State. (Photo: Ris Twigg/The (Ohio) Lantern

Receivers Grimes and Jefferson Eager to Catch on with Gators

Friday, January 26, 2018 | Football, Scott Carter

Trevon Grimes and Van Jefferson joined the program in January after starting their college careers elsewhere.

By: Scott Carter, Senior Writer

GAINESVILLE, Fla. -- They didn't know each other three weeks ago. They were just two guys in search of a fresh start and, of course, their next catch.

In fact, Trevon Grimes needed an assist the first time he bumped into Van Jefferson in Florida's locker room earlier this month.

"I didn't even know who he was until I saw his name tag. 'Oh, that's Van,' '' Grimes said. "We kick it all the time now."

Grimes and Jefferson are among that breed known as receivers, so it doesn't take long for any conversation to turn toward the thought of a football darting through the air toward their grasp.

Both players enrolled at Florida earlier this month after starting their college careers elsewhere, Grimes at Ohio State, and Jefferson at Ole Miss. Their arrival added an additional layer of newness around the program since the hire of head coach Dan Mullen in late November.

While both hope to be eligible to play in 2018, their ultimate fate rests in the hands of the NCAA as it evaluates their hardship waivers.

As that process unfolds, their attention is aimed toward fitting into unfamiliar surroundings and onto their new team.

"I'm so excited to get to work and see what the future holds,'' said Grimes, an imposing 6-foot-4, 202-pound wideout. "It's been really important for me, just getting back into the swing of things. I hold myself to a high standard. I feel like I'm a little rusty right now, but with [Nick] Savage and all our strength staff, I feel like I'm going to be better than ever."

Unlike Grimes, who played sparingly as a true freshman with the Buckeyes before needing to return home to south Florida midseason to assist his ailing mother, Jefferson played the last two seasons for the Rebels.

He caught 91 passes for 999 yards over that span, but due to NCAA sanctions and a bowl ban leveled against the program for infractions committed under former head coach Hugh Freeze's watch, Jefferson is among a group of Rebels permitted to transfer in quest of a new opportunity.

Jefferson was born in Jacksonville, had met Gator receivers coach Billy Gonzales during the recruiting process, and has family in the state. Those factors made the Gators a favored destination.

49968 — Receiver Van Jefferson playing for Ole Miss against Alabama. (File photo: Jackson (Miss.) Clarion and Ledger)

"I knew Coach Mullen at Ole Miss because I played against him,'' Jefferson said. "Even though I had pretty good years at Ole Miss, I just felt it was my time to go somewhere else. I love to work. I love to grind and I'm excited to be here with these guys. I can't wait until spring practice to get it going."

The Gators started their offseason conditioning drills recently and for Grimes, the return to a structured team setting is one he welcomed after a difficult fall. Grimes had to leave Ohio State to help his mom and younger brother when his mother became ill.

He was able to finish his coursework online and seek other options to play closer to home. Florida was one of his final two choices prior to going to Ohio State, so when Florida became an option a second time, he listened closely.

Grimes played at St. Thomas Aquinas in Fort Lauderdale, where he caught passes from Gators redshirt freshman quarterback Jake Allen. The two used to eat lunch together often and Allen, one of the Gators' earlier commitments in the 2017 recruiting class, constantly tried to persuade Grimes to come to UF. Grimes also knows Gators freshman quarterback Emory Jones from Jones' visits to Ohio State, where he tried to persuade Jones to come.

In Grimes' short time at UF, the two have helped him get acclimated. More importantly, he is close enough to home should his family need him.

"It's funny how it all worked out. Like my mom tells me, everything happens for a reason," Grimes said. "She's doing better. I talk to her every day. Basically, I just wanted to be closer to home to support my mom. She was going through a time of struggle. She still is, but she's doing a lot better and I'm blessed for that. I feel like I'm at home."

Grimes and Jefferson, whether in 2018 or beyond, add talent and depth to a receivers corps that features junior Tyrie Cleveland as the top returner from last season's team.

The group has spent extra time away from the field getting to know each other and working on developing a connection. They planned to go out to dinner together on Thursday night, which has already become sort of a new tradition.

The only Florida players Jefferson knew personally before this month were defensive end Cece Jefferson, who he met during an official visit to Ole Miss in 2014, and linebacker David Reese, with whom he shares some mutual friends.

Jefferson knows some Gators of the past, though, which is one reason he chose to come to Florida when offered the opportunity.

"Guys like Percy Harvin, Louis Murphy and those guys,'' Jefferson said. "I remember those years a lot and what they did while they were here. We're just trying to come back and do that."

For now, Grimes and Jefferson are still finding their way around campus. They feel they belong a little more each day.

"Coach Mullen coming in here, everyone is fresh, everything is clean,'' Grimes said. "Everybody is new and it's just like a fresh start for me, too. That's why I felt it was the best fit for me."