A number of factors, including a solid first impression made by defensive coordinator Kerry Coombs, has led to Ohio State being a legitimate contender for five-star DB Tony Grimes

Ohio State's football program has recently made it through another round of cuts for a few of the top 2021 prospects in the country.

Along with cracking the top four for Rivals100 targets Emeka Egbuka and Jaylin Davies a couple of weeks ago, the Buckeyes were named as a finalist for the top-ranked cornerback on Rivals this past weekend.

On Sunday, five-star Tony Grimes unveiled the final four schools in his recruitment: Georgia, North Carolina, Ohio State and Texas A&M.

For Grimes, the bonds he has manufactured with members of Ohio State's coaching staff, specifically Al Washington, Kerry Coombs and head coach Ryan Day, played a role in them landing on his list.

"When coach Coombs came in, coach Coombs was awesome," said Deon Glover, Grimes' father. "He came to see us, came to the school. Sat down with our coaching staff, he opened up and let us know who he was, what he was about, what he can do. That was impressive for us.

"He's had several phone conversations with Tony, and Tony is impressed by him and his resume and him as a coach. We all like coach Day. He's a good guy, he's one of the few in the business who is a players' coach. We all love him. A lot of that went into them being in Tony's final four."

Those statements above are a testament to the work Coombs has been able to do.