Curtis Grant has been one of the hottest names on the recruiting trail, but he's definitely no stranger to the spotlight.
A MaxPreps Junior All-American in 2009, Grant was an all-metro pick by the Richmond Times-Dispatch for three consecutive seasons, establishing early on in his varsity career that he was anything but an average player.
After registering 154 tackles as a junior, Grant surpassed those lofty numbers by compiling 177 tackles, 10 sacks, and five interceptions in leading
Hermitage (Richmond, Va.) to the Division 6 title game.
Curtis Grant remains uncommitted.
Photo by Jim Redman
College coaches have certainly taken notice.
"I'd say there's a good chance that Curtis Grant is the most-highly recruited player ever from Richmond," said Richmond Times-Dispatch writer Eric Kolenich.
Grant has whittled a huge offer sheet down to a final four: Virginia, Florida, Ohio State, and North Carolina.
Interestingly, the home-state Cavaliers are in the mix after Grant originally ruled them out. They appear to be making a serious late push for Grant, who took an official visit to Charlottesville over the weekend and enjoyed his stay, according to Kolenich.
On Sunday, the Roanoke Times times reported that Virginia could be in Grant's final two schools. It would be a major coup for the Cavaliers and a bold statement that Mike London will do everything in his power to land elite instate recruits.
However, there's a strong sentiment that Grant will leave the state of Virginia for college. According to Hermitage coach Patrick Kane, Grant has made official visits to Florida, Ohio State, and North Carolina. Although Butch Davis has done a great job on the recruiting trail, already landing Travis Hughes and Landon Turner, Grant is most often linked to Ohio State and Florida.
Grant made unofficial visits to numerous schools before his senior season, but Ohio State was not one of his destinations. He did make a trip to Columbus in December, and since then, has been flirting heavily with joining the Buckeyes.
Florida, conversely, has been in the running for months. According to Kolenich, the Gators were one of the first schools that Grant showed an interest in, and the recent coaching change did little to affect his stance.
When the Gators brought on WIll Muschamp, one of his most immediate priorities was continuing the program's rapport with Grant.
"Muschamp called him [Grant] twice within his first three days to introduce himself," Kolenich said.
Grant has been low-key about the recruiting process, so which school he'll sign with on or after Feb. 2 is still very much a mystery. Here's our breakdown on where Grant could land:
Florida (35 percent): With a current recruiting class that pales in comparison to last year's epic haul, the Gators are looking to close strong and have made Grant a priority. Muschamp has worked hard to establish a bond with Grant, but it's still unclear if he'll be able to reel in the country's No. 19 recruit.
Ohio State (35 percent): Rumors continue to swirl that Grant will be a Buckeye on National Signing Day. Jim Tressel and staff appear to be peaking at the right time, and could ride that momentum to a commitment. However, it's hard to get a truly accurate read on Grant, and therefore hard to feel overly confident that he'll sign with Ohio State.
Virginia (20 percent): Virginia has done a good job establishing itself as a player in the Grant sweepstakes. At this point, it seems like the Cavaliers are still a bit of a long shot, but if he decides to stay local, Grant will pick Virginia.
North Carolina (5 percent): While it doesn't look good for North Carolina, the Tar Heels have done a great job recruiting out of state players under Butch Davis. Grant putting on a Tar Heels cap next week is unlikely, but not impossible.
