Finding the right fit for your college football program isn't just about what happens on the field, but off it as well. Today, Ohio State added a key piece. How will that commitment impact the Buckeyes?
When Ohio State won the first ever college football playoff in January, bringing home the 2015 national title, the question many asked was: how will this affect recruiting? The answer was that it would help the 2016 class a little, but the 2017 class a lot and today is one more example of that coming to fruition.
Lawrenceville, Ga.'s Isaiah Pryor, a 6-foot-2, 190-pound athlete who lines up at safety for Archer High School, has committed to the Buckeyes. Just what are the Buckeyes getting?
ON THE FIELD
With Pryor, the Buckeyes are getting a big, rangy defensive back that can run, hit and play in pass coverage. One Buckeye source shared this about his game.
"Physically, he's well-developed and only heading into his junior year," the source said. "He's got good size and took to coaching really well."
As a safety in Ohio State's defense, Pryor will be called on to do a lot of run support and that's an area of his game that he excels in.
"He's a really good downhill player," the source continued. "He's physical and a good tackler on film."
At 6-foot-2 and almost 200-pounds heading into his junior season, it's going to be interesting to see how big Pryor gets. There's many out there who speculate that if he gets into the 220-225 pound range he could end up playing an outside linebacker position in the future.
IN THE CLASS
The 10th commitment in the 2017 class, Pryor is another versatile athlete who could play anywhere on the field. He's the country's 38th-ranked overall prospect according to the 247Sports.com composite rankings and his pledge means the Buckeyes now have commitments from five players in ESPN's Top 40.
Pryor's commitment means the Buckeyes have three defensive backs in the mix for 2017 and with a number of big-time names out there (Richard LeCounte, Jeffrey Okudah, Lamont Wade, Paris Ford and Darnay Holmes to name a few) it means tough decisions will be made heading forward. Just how many can they take in 2017 remains to be seen but it could help the Buckeyes make decisions in 2016 as well knowing they have so much in the tank. The commitment means the Buckeyes now have a verbal pledge from the country's second and sixth-ranked cornerbacks and the country's second-ranked safety in 2017.
Pryor told 247Sports.com that he intends on taking no more visits and is officially done with his recruitment.
THE INTANGIBLES
Pryor's a big-time talent on the field but off the field is perhaps where he's most ahead of his peers right now.
"This is a kid with good pedigree, from a good family," a source shared. "He's future captain-material."
Archer High School in Lawrenceville, Ga., is loaded with talent year after year and Pryor's commitment can't hurt the Buckeyes as they continue to make in-roads down south. He shares the secondary at Archer with 2016 stars Dylan Singleton, Kyle Davis and 2017's Jamyest Williams, each of whom, like Pryor, is a four-star prospect nationally. With other Georgia standouts like Richard LeCounte, MJ Webb and DeAngelo Gibbs still in the thick of their own recruitment, Pryor's pledge can give the Buckeyes a little help there as well.
