Running back Evan Pryor loses his black stripe

Another Buckeye running back lost his black stripe on Saturday! How will Pryor factor into the plans in the future?

We’ve got yet another black stripe alert for Ohio State, as freshman running back Evan Pryor received the honor on Saturday.

At 5-foot, 10-inches, and 190-pounds, Pryor was a 4-star commit in the 2021 class rated as the No. 6 running back and 83rd overall prospect in the class according to the 247Sports Composite Rankings. He wasn’t as ballyhooed as the TreVeyon Henderson, but he’s got a skill set that should still translate to big-time college football.

By having his black stripe removed, Pryor is now considered to be an “official” Buckeye after arriving in the spring as an early enrollee.

“I want to thank all of you all for pushing me, be the best me every day — you know — holding me accountable, not only on the field but off the field,” Pryor said. “Shoutout tote nation, shoutout quarterbacks, keeping me in line. Go Bucks!”

Here’s to wishing Pryor success in a Buckeye uniform. Not only does he add depth to the running back room, but he’s got the talent to become one of the featured guys in the offense down the road.

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Ohio State RB commit Evan Pryor to skip senior season in high school

Ohio State four-star running back Evan Pryor announced his intentions to sit out his senior high school season and enroll at OSU in January.

It’s not just college football that has players opting-out. Just like questions linger on what schools and conferences will play a fall season in college, the same holds true in high school. Some of those kids are prepared to come to Ohio State early as a part of the 2021 class, and they have decisions to make. As state high school associations make decisions on the upcoming season, prospects are forced to adjust.

We’ve already heard from one running back in the class that will be skipping his senior year season in high school and enrolling in Columbus early. Five-star prospect TreVeyon Henderson announced his intentions to enroll early at OSU, and now we have another.

Four-star back Evan Pryor announced on Friday that he too will skip his senior season at William Amous Hough High School and enroll at Ohio State early.

“These past three years have been an amazing journey,” Pryor wrote. “I would like to give a huge thanks to the entire Hough High School for not only believing in me to become a better football player, but a greater man.”

“Given the NCHSAA’s decision, in January I plan on enrolling at The Ohio State University early which means I will not play my senior season with my high school. But in this decision I feel confident and well prepared thanks to the support I have gotten from my coaches.”

The North Carolina High School Athletic Association ruled to postpone the high school season to February on Wednesday, more or less making the decision for Pryor.

Another tantalizing variable that could have weighed in on Pryor’s decision and others, is the possibility of getting two so-called seasons in just one calendar year and burning up just one year of eligibility. Ryan Day mentioned that as a development that many in the incoming 2021 class have been excited about the potential of.

We must emphasize though, the NCAA has yet to completely weigh in on that in the unique parameters everyone is operating under. Currently, eligibility is tied to a calendar year, so it appears to be a real potential.

 

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Ohio State 4-star RB commit Evan Pryor willing to sit out senior year of High School for social change

Ohio State football 2021 4-star running back commit Evan Pryor is willing to sit out his senior year of high school for social change.

There’s taking a stand, and then there’s going all-in.

There’s no denying the climate today is one of moving social justice reform forward, and thankfully so. After the tragic killing of George Floyd while in police custody and the subsequent protests across this country, something feels different this time around and many Ohio State players, coaches, and even current commitments are standing up and getting their voices out there.

But what four-star running back Evan Pryor is proposing is a step further. After a series of racist social media posts and videos at his high school went public, the 2021 class’ No. 2 all-purpose back and 85th overall prospect according to the 247Sports Composite Rankings, is demanding change and threatening to sit out his senior season unless administrators and students at William Amos Hough High School get serious and move things in a positive direction.

“I am a Black student at Hough High School in Cornelius, NC,” said Pryor in the statement shared to Twitter. “Everyday I experience racism from man white students on social media. I demand change in my school. Racism and racial injustice must end.”

It doesn’t appear to be just talk either. Pryor appeared on a live stream show with the Charlotte Observer to discuss where things stand and if he’s serious about sitting out his senior season.

“I believe so,” Pryor said. “If it gets to that point and there’s no change and it only gets worse, I’ll do what I have to do because at some point it has to end. We can’t just let this keep going on around the state. If it gets there — yes — I’ll sit out. Hopefully, in talking with my AD and principal, I don’t think it’ll get to that point. I think we’re taking steps in the right direction.”

We’ll keep an eye on this as things develop, but for now, it appears that his school administrators are behind him, and he is to be commended for taking such a bold stance.

Two Ohio State commits react to Wisconsin recruit’s slam of Buckeye program

Two Ohio State commitments, Tunmise Adeleye and Evan Pryor fired back at Wisconsin recruit T.J. Bollers after slam of the program.

In case you missed it, things got a little heated on Twitter this past weekend. Ohio State commit Tunmise Adeleye made a comment about coming to grips with being a Clemson commit amid some of the socially charged protests around the confederate flag there. People jumped on it, including four-star Wisconsin commit T.J. Bollers.

A couple of Buckeye commitments for the 2021 class were quick to jump on Bollers’ poor judgment to pick a fight he wasn’t invited to. Both running back Evan Pryor and Jaylen Johnson weren’t going to let the slight go quietly into the scarlet and gray night.

Again, it probably wasn’t the best decision for Adelye to call out folks in and around Clemson, but it made absolutely no sense for Bollers to chime in.

First, for context, here was the original Tweet from Adeleye.

And the subsequent response from Bollers.

And now, the swift and succinct response from Pryor and Johnson.

As we mentioned before, this will be a fun backstory when they meet up on the football field. We’ll have to wait a while though. Not only do these commits have to finish their senior year of high school, but the teams also aren’t scheduled to play until November of 2022.

Of course the Badgers and Buckeyes could meet in Indy for the Big Ten Championship Game in 2021 for that to occur sooner. If so, we have a good feeling of what the outcome will be based on past history.

On Wisconsin?

A look at some of Georgia’s top recruiting targets for 2021 class

We list our top-10 Georgia Football targets for the 2021 recruiting class.

Georgia currently holds the No. 12 ranked recruiting class overall and the 3rd best class in the SEC behind Florida and Tennessee. (link to sec class story here)

The Bulldogs hold seven commitments for their 2021 class which is led by 5-star QB Brock Vandagriff, 4-star OT Micah Morris and 4-star ATH David Daniel.

With much of the recruiting cycle still remaining, there are still plenty of great young prospects the Bulldogs will be pursuing over the next year or so.

Here is our list of some of Georgia’s top recruiting targets for the class of 2021. Just because a player is not listed does not mean Georgia is not targeting him.

All rankings via 247Sports:

  1. 5-star OT Amarius Mims (Cochran, GA)
  2. 5-star DB Tony Grimes (Virginia Beach, VA)
  3. 5-star S James Williams (Fort Lauderdale, FL)
  4. 5-star DT Leonard Taylor (Miami, FL)
  5. 5-star DT Mason Smith (Houma, LA)
  6. 5-star OLB Smael Mondon (Dallas, GA)
  7. 4-star DB Isaiah Johnson (Bluefield, WV)
  8. 4-star RB Donovan Edwards (West Bloomfield, MI)
  9. 4-star LB Barrett Carter (Suwanee, GA)
  10. 4-star DE Quintin Somerville (Scottsdale, AZ)
  11. 4-star WR Mario Williams (Plant City, FL)
  12. 4-star OLB Xavien Sorey (Graceville, FL)
  13. 4-star WR Chris Hilton (Zachary, LA)
  14. 4-star CB Nyland Green (Covington, GA)
  15. 4-star TE Brock Bowers (Napa, CA)

Four-star running back Evan Pryor commits to Ohio State for 2021

The recruiting booms just keep coming for Ohio State. Four-star RB Evan Pryor has given his pledge to the Buckeyes.

While the running back questions for this upcoming season aren’t going anywhere soon, the class of 2021 found its answer.

Four-start running back Evan Pryor, from Williams Amos High School in Cornelius, North Carolina, announced via Twitter on Monday that he will become a Buckeye.

Standing at 5-feet-10, 190 pounds, Pryor is currently ranked as the No. 6 back in the county and is Ohio State’s ninth top-100 ranked player for the class of 2021 according to 247Sports.

Last year as a junior, Pryor ran 164 times for 1,130 yards and 11 rushing touchdowns. He additionally caught the ball 38 times for 646 yards and eight more touchdowns.

Pryor additionally held offers from LSU, Georgia, USC, Penn State among others, including in-state North Carolina who made a late charge at the touted back’s services.

He is now the third player to commit to the Buckeyes in the last 24 hours (J.K. Johnson & Davonta Smith).

The coronavirus has been working hard lately, but Ohio State’s coaches and brand work a little bit harder.

Remember those questions about how/if Ryan Day and staff could recruit? Well, this 2021 class can officially put those questions to shame.

Georgia, Ohio State target four-star RB makes commitment

Four-star running back Evan Pryor plays for Hough High School. He chose between Ohio State, Georgia, UNC, and more.

The Georgia Bulldogs were among the top six schools for four-star running back Evan Pryor. Pryor plays for Hough High School in the Charlotte, North Carolina area. Hough plays in one of the toughest divisions in the state of North Carolina.

Pryor is currently rated as the fifth best back in the class of 2021. He announced his commitment to the Ohio State Buckeyes via Twitter:

Georgia and UNC, USC, Ohio State, Oklahoma, and Penn State made Pryor’s final six, but it wasn’t enough.

The 5’10”, 190 pound back has awesome highlights. He’ll be fun to watch at Ohio State. Fortunately, Georgia won’t have to play against him regularly.

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Blazing fast 2021 four-star RB announces top-6 schools

The Georgia Bulldogs are among the top six schools for 2021 four-star running back Evan Pryor.

The Georgia Bulldogs are among the top six schools for 2021 four-star running back Evan Pryor. Pryor plays for Hough High School in the Charlotte, North Carolina area. Hough plays in one of the toughest divisions in the state of North Carolina.

Pryor is currently rated as the fifth best back in his class. He announced his top schools via Twitter:

In Pryor’s top schools, which he calls his final six are: UNC, UGA, USC, Ohio State, Oklahoma, and Penn State.

Pryor has some time before he’ll need to commit to a school (next December/February). . Georgia is heavily recruiting the state of North Carolina, where the Dawgs have found some excellent talent over the years including: Todd Gurley, Jordan Davis, Keith Marshall, and Zamir White.

Will Pryor be the next great North Carolinian to join the Dawgs? The 5’10”, 190 pound back has some excellent highlights.

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Georgia football top recruiting targets for class of 2021

Here’s a look at the top Georgia football recruiting targets for 2021

Georgia football wrapped up a 2020 recruiting class that ranked No. 1 in America.

Right now for the class of 2021, the Bulldogs have two commitments for a class that currently ranks No. 24.

Those two commitments are pretty big, however. The headliner for this class is, and will continue to be, 5-star quarterback Brock Vandagriff (Bogart, Ga.), the No. 1 ranked quarterback and No. 8 player overall.

Accompanying Vandagriff as the only other commit in this class is 4-star defensive back David Daniel (Woodstock, Ga.). Daniel, who is recruited as a safety, is considered an athlete on 247Sports and ranks as the nation’s 45th player.

Until both Vandagriff and Daniel officially sign with Georgia roughly a year from now, Kirby Smart and staff will continue to recruit both of them heavily. But there’s still 20+ others guys that Smart will need to land a commitment from for the 2021 class, and we are taking a look at a few players that should be Georgia’s biggest targets.

Here are Georgia’s top targets for 2021:

OFFENSE

5-star OT Amarius Mims

Amarius Mims is 2021’s Broderick Jones, who was Georgia’s 5-star offensive tackle in the 2020 class.

At nearly six-foot-eight and 320 pounds, the junior out of Cochran, GA is already considered to be a Georgia lean. As per 247Sports, 100 percent of recruiting experts predict he will enroll at the University of Georgia.

Mims recently released a top-12 that included Georgia and a plethora of other SEC powerhouses.

He is the ranked as the No. 13 player in the country.

5-star RB Will Shipley

5-star running back Will Shipley is a priority recruit for just about every major program in the country.

Ranking as the nation’s No. 21 overall player and No. 1 all-purpose back, Shipley could join Tim Worley, Todd Gurley, Keith Marshall and Zamir White as the next great Georgia running back out of North Carolina.

Shipley comes from Weddington High School in a town about 5 minutes south of Charlotte where he has a 4.375 grade-point average.

He clocked a 4.46 40 time, rushed for 2,066 rushing yards last season and averaged 11 yards per carry.

Georgia coaches have been in contact with Shipley, with Kirby Smart and Dell McGee both visiting separately.

4-star OT Micah Morris

Another offensive lineman, Micah Morris is a 4-star out of Kingsland, Georgia.

He ranks as the nation’s No. 44 overall player and No. 7 ranked tackle. It looks like right now it’s mainly between Georgia and South Carolina.

Morris, 6-4, 316 pounds, visited Georgia on February 1st.

4-star WR Jaquez Smith

Right now, Georgia is the favorite to land 4-star wide receiver Jaquez Smith out of Westlake High School in Atlanta.

Smith, who ranks as the No. 136 overall player in the 2021 class, is being recruited by a lot of the usual suspects. He visited Georgia for last season’s Notre Dame game

Smith could compliment freshman George Pickens and Dominick Blaylock in future seasons.

4-star RB Evan Pryor

I think Georgia could bring in two running backs for the 2021 class and Evan Pryor would be a player to keep an eye on regardless of what happens with Shipley.

Pryor ranks as the nation’s No. 86 overall player and 6th ranked running back. He, like Shipley, also hails from North Carolina, in a town called Cornelius. Much like Shipley’s hometown of Weddington, Cornelius is a city that is on the outskirts of Charlotte, so it’s an ok bet to assume the two high profile backs have crossed paths multiple times.

The last time Georgia brought in two running backs from North Carolina we saw Todd Gurley and Keith Marshall takeover the SEC and put up wild numbers. Pryor recently visited Georgia, and the Dawgs will do their best to land the speedy ball carrier.

NEXT: DEFENSE

Georgia football: Top offensive recruiting targets for 2021

Here are Georgia football’s top offensive recruiting targets for the class of 2021.

Earlier this week we wrote about some of Georgia football’s top defensive recruiting targets for the 2021 cycle and now we are taking a look at the other side of the ball.

Georgia is fresh off the No. 1 ranked class for the 2020 cycle and right now, for 2021, the Dawgs have some ground to make up between present day and next signing day.

As of now, Georgia has two commitments for a 2021 class that ranks 25th in the country.

Luckily for Georgia, Kirby Smart is one of the best finishers in the world of recruiting and always seems to get things going later in the process.

Part of the reason Georgia is ranked relatively high at No. 25 with just two commits is because of the quality of those two commitments.

Currently, the Bulldogs have a commitment from 5-star quarterback Brock Vandagriff (Bogart, Ga.), the No. 1 ranked quarterback and No. 8 player overall.

Accompanying Vandagriff as the only other commit in this class is 4-star defensive back David Daniel (Woodstock, Ga.). Daniel, who is recruited as a safety, is considered an athlete on 247Sports and ranks as the nation’s 45th player.

Until both Vandagriff and Daniel officially sign with Georgia roughly a year from now, Kirby Smart and staff will continue to recruit them heavily. But there’s still 20+ others guys that Smart will need to land a commitment from for the 2021 class, and we are taking a look at a few players that should be Georgia’s biggest targets.

These are offensive players only – as mentioned, we did defense earlier in the week.

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Here are some of Georgia’s top offensive targets for 2021:

5-star OT Amarius Mims

Amarius Mims is 2021’s Broderick Jones, who was Georgia’s 5-star offensive tackle in the 2020 class.

At nearly six-foot-eight and 320 pounds, the junior out of Cochran, GA is already considered to be a Georgia lean. As per 247Sports, 100 percent of recruiting experts predict he will enroll at the University of Georgia.

Mims recently released a top-12 that included Georgia and a plethora of other SEC powerhouses.

He is the ranked as the No. 13 player in the country.

5-star RB Will Shipley

5-star running back Will Shipley is a priority recruit for just about every major program in the country.

Ranking as the nation’s No. 21 overall player and No. 1 all-purpose back, Shipley could join Tim Worley, Todd Gurley, Keith Marshall and Zamir White as the next great Georgia running back out of North Carolina.

Shipley comes from Weddington High School in a town about 5 minutes south of Charlotte where he has a 4.375 grade-point average.

He clocked a 4.46 40 time, rushed for 2,066 rushing yards last season and averaged 11 yards per carry.

Georgia coaches have been in contact with Shipley, with Kirby Smart and Dell McGee both visiting separately.