Countdown to kickoff: #96 Jaiden Grimes
6’2”, 290 | DT | Junior | Marietta, GA
2025 stats
Box score (14 games): 11 solo tackles, 17 assists, 2 TFL, 1 sack
Total Pressures: 19 (9th in CUSA interior DL)
Non-sack QB Hits: 4 (5th)
Hurries: 14 (10th)
True Pass Set win rate: 25% (2nd)
PFF Grades: 68.3 | Run Def.: 64.2 | Tackle: 44.9 | Pressure: 69.8
Grimes is one of the last Owls still standing from Brian Bohannon’s 2024 recruiting class, Kennesaw State’s first at the FBS level. Three of them - Grimes, WR Javon Rogers and LB Tywon Christopher - project to make an impact in their third season, with the Pope HS product poised to be an integral part of a defense that replaces both starting tackles.
Pop quiz: Who was Kennesaw’s second-best pass rusher last season? Would you believe me if I said Grimes? Don’t let raw sack totals fool you. In true pass set scenarios - limiting the effect of screens/RPOs/schemed rollouts - the rising junior DT won on 25% of reps, ranking behind only Elijah Hill for the Owls. In the ground game, Grimes ranked 4th on the team in in “stops” - PFF’s stat to define tackles on successful plays for the defense - despite playing the 13th most snaps against the run.
Comparing him to the rest of the league, only five Conference USA tackles finished last season with a higher pass rush win rate than Grimes’ 10.9%. One of those finished his college career, one stuck around in the league, and the other three transferred out to places like Colorado, Minnesota, and Virginia Tech. An article from 247 Sports spelled out the market at defensive tackle earlier this offseason: $250-500K at the low end, $500-750K in the middle tier, and up to $1.5 million for the elite transfers when supply’s low. Decent work, if you can get it.
The concept of a contract year in college football still sounds strange, even a handful of seasons into the NIL/transfer portal era. Either way, there’s plenty at stake for Grimes as he enters a pivotal year three, expected to be his first season as a full-time starter. Could Grimes follow in the footsteps of Carlos Allen (Houston) and Pooda Walker (Memphis) and become the latest Owls tackle to take a step up and finish his career elsewhere? Or could the local product earn a bump in pay to stick around in Kennesaw?
‘25 starters Adam Watkins and Tylon Dunlap both exhausted their eligibility, leaving two job openings next to Marcus Patterson up front. Which player will Grimes replace? Owls DC Marc Mattioli may opt to plug him into Dunlap’s DT position, where Grimes served as a rotation player last season. Based on last season’s usage, that might be the preferred play - giving Grimes a chance to take advantage of his pass rush capabilities in a position that can require alignments as wide as a 5 technique to accommodate the various fronts Mattioli will send at the offense.
If the Owls don’t love the options at nose - or want to give Cooper/Crawford a break - Grimes could slide right back into the NT role he played late in 2024 when Pooda Walker entered the portal midseason. That’s where Grimes lined up in this year’s spring game, too, lining up at nose with Buffalo transfer Devin Morgan next to him. Grimes finds himself in an interesting spot, where he’s sort of in the position battle version of a love triangle: Morgan and Cooper might be indirectly competing at their respective first-choice positions, and Grimes can jump in wherever he’s needed.
A couple videos to leave you with on Grimes. First: An interview worth your time with Grimes and his trainer from Velocity Sports. 40+ minutes talking DL play and the progression of his young career so far. Come for the football talk, stay for the story about literally getting a heat stroke during his first Kennesaw workout. The conversation about wanting to improve vs. double teams makes sense in context of trying to figure out which position Grimes will play most often.
Second: While looking back at film, this Grimes clip stood out to me more than any of the pressures, run stops, or other highlights. FIU’s Kejon Owens raced to a 43-yard touchdown while Grimes is on the weak side. The result doesn’t matter. Look at that burst from the big fella. Grimes came this close to chasing down a RB who’s now on an NFL roster. He shouldn’t be able to move like that.
Fine, let’s roll one more clip - this one’s an actual highlight for Grimes, where he destroys Louisiana Tech’s right guard. That swim move has been filthy since his freshman year.
