Reclassifying isn’t a new concept by any means but doing so because of a pandemic certainly would be.

That’s what five-star Virginia native Tony Grimes announced he plans to do at North Carolina just weeks after his commitment to Mack Brown’s Tar Heel program on June 30. The nation’s No. 1 cornerback in the 2021 recruiting cycle, Grimes committed to North Carolina over Alabama and Georgia.

Losing a recruiting battle for the nation’s top cornerback prospect may have been tough but Nick Saban and Kirby Smart likely knew they had time to flip Grimes should the Tar Heels struggle on the field this fall. They won’t get that chance now, however, as Grimes will be a student in Chapel Hill when the coming college football season is scheduled to be played.

“I will be reclassifying to 2020 and Enrolling at UNC August 1st, This is my Business Decision. Respect it,” Grimes stated on Friday.

While fans are wondering whether college football will be played in the fall, there’s even more uncertainty surrounding high school football. Considering major college football has significantly more resources to protect its players than high schools, players in a position to reclassify like Grimes would be wise to make the jump early.

Even if these young players don’t turn out to be much of a factor on the field this fall, at least they will get a jump start on their college development and will theoretically be able to make the jump to the NFL one year earlier. When you think about it, this move makes all the sense in the world for an elite prospect like Grimes.

Will we see other five-star recruits follow his lead?