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Battle for high school QB Pryor includes Ohio State, Michigan

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[quote][size=5][b]Battle for high school QB Pryor includes Ohio State, Michigan[/b][/size]
[size=3][b]Wolverines jumped into contention when they hired Rodriguez from West Virginia.[/b][/size]

By Doug Harris

Staff Writer

Sunday, January 13, 2008

COLUMBUS — Being the hottest football prospect in the nation can be a draining experience, but Terrelle Pryor's high school coach believes his star wouldn't be so worn out if he could break free from his expanding entourage.

The athletic quarterback may be able to juke defenders, but he's having trouble shaking loose from the hordes who want to get close to him.

"We have some hangers-on that he thinks are friends of his, and I don't know if they are," Jeannette (Pa.) High School coach Ray Reitz said. "Just because he's such a great athlete, I don't know if these guys are in it for his best interests or for what they can get down the road from him.

"That's what he has to understand. Terrelle is basically a pretty good kid, but he's a kid. I just wish he had a better chance to be a kid. But that's the price of fame. He has a gift from God."

That ever-widening circle of influence may be why Pryor has seemed so unpredictable through the recruiting process.

He's always expressed interest in Ohio State and Florida. At one time, though, he reportedly ruled out Penn State, but now he's scheduled to make an official visit there Jan. 18.

Oregon has suddenly popped up among his final choices, leading some to speculate that Pryor just recently discovered the school's ties to Nike founder Phil Knight, a prominent booster.

West Virginia was believed to be Ohio State's main challenger until coach Rich Rodriquez left for Michigan. Pryor dropped the Mountaineers and will make a trip to Ann Arbor on Feb. 1 — five days before national signing day.

And Duke — which hasn't landed a blue-chip recruit in years — might still coax a visit out of Pryor after hiring renowned quarterback guru David Cutcliffe as head coach last month.

"One of the things with Terrelle is he's become friends with these recruiters, and I think it's hard for him to say no," Reitz said.

But on the field, the 6-foot-6, 220 pound senior has no problem being decisive. The top recruit overall in the Rivals.com ratings, Pryor has sub-4.4-second speed in the 40-yard dash, and he's the first Pennsylvania player to top 4,000 career yards both rushing and passing, making him an ideal fit for the spread-option attack in vogue at the college level.

"He could be a great dropback passer because he has the tools to do that, plus he's tall," Reitz said. "But if you don't spread the field with him, you're not using his capabilities. He's a horse, a big kid. You put him in space, and I don't know how you're going to be able to stop him.

"I'm 51 years old, and he's the best player (from western Pennsylvania) I've seen in my lifetime — and I can go back as far as Tony Dorsett," Reitz added. "He's going to get tremendous coaching at the next level. When he gets that, it's going to be scary. I don't think anybody has seen half of what he can do."

Pryor, who didn't answer calls to his cell phone, led Jeannette to a state title, albeit in one of the smaller classes. But he proved he could hang with the big boys while being named MVP at the U.S. Army All-American Bowl in San Antonio last week.

"He showed a better arm than some anticipated," said Allen Wallace, national recruiting editor for Scout.com and SuperPrep Magazine. "He'll bring an enormous amount of potential wherever he goes.

"Right now, he's the No. 1 prospect in America, and he'll completely alter the future of whatever team he goes to."

Michigan instantly put itself in position to land Pryor when it hired Rodriguez last month. And the Wolverines made themselves an even more attractive option when their only experienced returning QB announced he was transferring.

But Pryor visited Ohio State for the Wisconsin game Nov. 3, and the school has long been considered one of the front-runners in the battle for the USA Today offensive player of the year.

And although they can't entice him with a vacancy at quarterback, the Buckeyes still have plenty to offer.

"He's going to weigh all his options, but I know he likes Ohio State a lot," Reitz said. "I think he respects Coach (Jim) Tressel and what they've done up there. It's a great program — as is Michigan. He can't go wrong with either program, and I think he realizes that."

Duane Long, recruiting analyst for Bucknuts.com, also followed the race for Pryor closely, and he believes OSU will ultimately prevail.

"Until one of my contacts tells me he's not going to be coming this way, I'm of the opinion he's going to be a Buckeye," Long said.

"Fans had better buckle themselves in," he added. "There's no chance he makes a decision before signing day, but I still think that decision will be Ohio State."


Contact this reporter at (937) 225-2125 or at dharris@DaytonDailyNews.com.




[b]Quotable[/b]

'Right now, he's the No. 1 prospect in America, and he'll completely alter the future of the team he goes to.'

— Allen Wallace, national

recruiting editor for Scout.com and

SuperPrep Magazine,

on Terrelle Pryor



[b]Cream of the crop[/b]
The top 10 high school football recruits, according to Rivals.com:
Player Pos. Hometown College
1. Terrelle Pryor QB Jeannette, Pa. Undecided
2. Julio Jones WR Foley, Ala. Undecided
3. Patrick Johnson DB Pompano Beach, Fla. LSU
4. Darrell Scott RB Ventura, Calif. Undecided
5. A.J. Green WR Summerville, S.C. Georgia
6. Matt Kalil OL Anaheim, Calif. Southern Cal
7. DaQuan Bowers DE Bamberg, S.C. Clemson
8. Marcus Forston DT Miami, Fla. Miami
9. Michael Brewster OL Orlando, Fla. Ohio State
10. R.J. Washington DE Keller, Texas Oklahoma
Note:
Four more Ohio State recruits are ranked in the top 50: DeVier Posey (18); Lamaar Thomas (34); Devoe Torrence (48); and Etienne Sabino (50).[/quote]
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JC Hall Of Fame

JC

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They could be pretty sick if they can package him and todd to where there both playing. Especially with wells, their offensive line, and defense.


I also heard from a michigan fan that it was the nat'l championship, my bad.
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Bengals1181 Hall Of Fame

Bengals1181

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[quote name='Jason' post='623015' date='Jan 15 2008, 04:28 PM']I think he will chose Meatchicken because he will have the opportunity to start right away if he does. Dammit.[/quote]


with the way Boeckman performed down the stretch, I think Pryor would have the opportunity to earn the spot in the spring.
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sigshoota Pro Bowler

sigshoota

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[quote name='JC' post='623001' date='Jan 15 2008, 04:17 PM']Didn't Pryor show up to the nat'l championship game wearing a michigan shirt?




That can't be a good indication.[/quote]




It was the Army all american game and he had a App St t-shirt on underneath it :)

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Jason Hall Of Fame

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[quote name='Bengal Chris' post='625503' date='Jan 21 2008, 10:48 PM']Im almost positive he will choose Ohio State. Gut feeling.[/quote]

Apparently one of his coaches feels the same way.

Link: [url="http://blog.cleveland.com/sports/2008/01/prep_coach_gut_instinct_says_q.html"]http://blog.cleveland.com/sports/2008/01/p...nct_says_q.html[/url]

[quote][b][size=3]Prep coach: "Gut instinct" says QB Pryor will choose Buckeyes[/size][/b]
Posted by Doug Lesmerises January 29, 2008 23:55PM
Categories: Ohio State
Saturday night, four days before National Signing Day, Ohio State and Michigan will go head-to-head one more time in the recruitment of Terrelle Pryor.

Jeannette (Pa.) High School quarterbacks coach Roy Hall said Tuesday that both Ohio State coach Jim Tressel and Michigan coach Rich Rodriguez are planning to be in the stands to watch Pryor play in Jeannette's home basketball game on Saturday night. With a recruiting dead period beginning Monday, it may be the last chance for the Buckeyes and Wolverines to influence the No.¤1 quarterback recruit in the nation.

It may not matter.

Hall, who has known Pryor since his pee wee football days and accompanied him to the U.S. Army All-American Bowl in San Antonio four weeks ago, believes Pryor will be a Buckeye.

"A lot of things are telling me Ohio State," Hall said. "That's my gut feeling. In San Antonio, I was there and everyone he chose to hang out with were the kids from Ohio State and their parents."

Pryor apparently has narrowed his choices to those two Big Ten contenders. He told the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette he has eliminated LSU, and Hall said LSU coaches wanted to visit Jeannette this week but Pryor told them not to bother. Also, Pryor said he will not have time to make an official visit to Oregon, which seemingly would knock out the Ducks, who had remained in the running.

While Penn State head coach Joe Paterno and a representative from West Virginia are supposed to visit Pryor today, neither the Nittany Lions nor the Mountaineers are seen as major contenders for Pryor.

That leaves Ohio State and Michigan, the only two schools to which Pryor has taken an official visit. One other factor in Hall's gut feeling was the presence of several Ohio State recruits, including linemen Michael Brewster and J.B. Shugarts, who are already enrolled at Ohio State, at Pryor's basketball game last Saturday.

Wednesday, when Pryor announces his decision in a news conference in Jeannette's gym to be televised on ESPNU at 12:05 p.m., he should become a Buckeye or a Wolverine.

"He can make that decision and have a little peace of mind," Hall said. "And then he can focus on the [basketball] playoffs."

First, Tressel and Rodriguez have one more night of face time in their first real showdown, part of Rodriguez's introduction to college football's best rivalry.[/quote]
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oldschooler Hall Of Fame

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[quote][size=5][b]Jeannette's Pryor considers delaying college decision[/b][/size]
By Paul Schofield
TRIBUNE-REVIEW
Thursday, January 31, 2008


Things were quiet in Jeannette on Wednesday night, unless you were Terrelle Pryor.
Pryor met with a legendary coach and is thinking about delaying his announcement on his future. Pryor, who was expected to make his decision on ESPN and CSTV at 12:05 p.m. Wednesday, said there's a 50/50 chance that he'll delay that decision. [b]Pryor has until April 1 to sign a letter of intent.[/b]

The reason Pryor might delay his decision is so he can make a visit to Oregon after the Jeannette basketball team plays Chester at Villanova on Friday and East Allegheny at home on Saturday.

"I still haven't made a decision about visiting Oregon," Pryor said after meeting with the Penn State contingent last night.

Penn State football coach Joe Paterno was in town to put on one last rush for what many scouting services consider the top high school football player in the country.
Paterno, his son Jay (the Lions' quarterbacks coach) and defensive coordinator Tom Bradley, who's been hot on Pryor's trail for the past year, spent the day in Jeannette visiting with Pryor, his parents, high school coaches and anyone close to him trying to persuade him to pick Penn State.

Joe Paterno, who doesn't make many recruiting trips, told Pryor the positive aspects about joining the Nittany Lions, hoping to keep him from playing for Big Ten Conference rivals Ohio State and Michigan.

Penn State is one of four colleges on Pryor's final list. Ohio State and Michigan are considered his top choices, but Pryor said that he might visit Oregon early next week after the basketball team returns home from Villanova. He also might visit Penn State, Jeannette coach Ray Reitz said.

Pryor said he didn't learn anything new about Penn State.

"The biggest thing was, coach Paterno was here," Pryor said after his evening meeting with the Penn State coaches at Reitz's home. "The meetings were good. It was a good day."

Meeting Paterno might be a highlight for some recruits, but Pryor has met with him previously when he attended camps at Penn State.

But did Paterno's visit change Pryor's mind about Penn State? He has told a lot of people that one of the negative things about Penn State is the State College area. He said he's not sure he would be happy there.

Steelers quarterback Charlie Batch, who is serving as Pryor's adviser, said Pryor has to make his own decision.

"Terrelle has to live there for the next three or four years," Batch said. "He's the one that has to be happy. I'm just there to help him sort things out."

Oregon assistant coach Chip Kelly was in Jeannette on Tuesday, and Ohio State coach Jim Tressel and Michigan coach Rich Rodriguez -- along with seven assistants -- are supposed to meet with Pryor on Saturday. They're expected to attend Jeannette's basketball game against East Allegheny after their meetings.

"The recruiting process has gone well," Pryor said. "I still have some things to sort out."

Roy Hall, one of Jeannette's assistant coaches, said he believed that Ohio State is Pryor's top choice.

"I'd be surprised if he picked Penn State," Hall said.[/quote]







[url="http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/news/breaking/s_550141.html"]http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburgh...g/s_550141.html[/url]
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Jason Hall Of Fame

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[quote name='rizzy' post='630548' date='Feb 6 2008, 01:23 PM']he is a little diva


i hope Ohio State does not get him he is going to be more trouble than what he is worth[/quote]

All I can say is if he doesn't choose OSU, I hope he goes to Oregon.
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rizzy Pro Bowler

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[quote name='Jason' post='630498' date='Feb 6 2008, 08:18 AM']Pryor has delayed his signing so he can make an official visit tu PSU.

[url="http://www.bucknuts.com"]http://www.bucknuts.com[/url][/quote]


[quote name='Jason' post='630583' date='Feb 6 2008, 02:47 PM']All I can say is if he doesn't choose OSU, I hope he goes to Oregon.[/quote]


as do i so he is out of this region and i never have to hear about him again
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Bengals1181 Hall Of Fame

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[quote name='Jason' post='630583' date='Feb 6 2008, 02:47 PM']All I can say is if he doesn't choose OSU, I hope he goes to Oregon.[/quote]


'eh I wouldn't mind that much if he went to Michigan. I'm not worried about OSU's ability to beat Michigan, and I think his presence would be a benefit to the Big Ten in the long run as far as them evolving.
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JBandJoeyV Hall Of Fame

JBandJoeyV

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I guess it is down to Ohio State and Penn State, I really cant see him picking penn state over ohio state, but then again his dad really wants him to go there so who knows...I cant wait for him to announce hes gonna be a buckeye though!

[url="http://www.madison.com/tct/blogs/insiders/271785"]http://www.madison.com/tct/blogs/insiders/271785[/url]
[quote]Recruiting: Pryor down to Ohio State, Penn State

The nation's number one recruit, quarterback Terrelle Pryor, has removed Michigan and Oregon from his short list. That leaves only Ohio State and Penn State.
Four days ago he said that he would make his decision known at 12:05 on Tender Day , Wednesday the 6th. He did not.
He has now ruled out Michigan and Oregon. The decision would be bad for anybody, but it is particularly bad for the Wolverines, who don't have a suitable quarterback available for next season.
Worse still, Rodriguez' recruiting antics over the past few weeks have offended the entire conference. There is considerable speculation that what he has done may be working against him.
Recruiting ethics, plus missing documents at West Virginia, have raised red flags across the country.[/quote]

EDIT: I dont know how credible this guy is though...seems like a hack he doesnt give any sources.
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