Better Know a Buckeye: Isaiah Pryor

This week's Better Know a Buckeye feature continues with a profile of Isaiah Pryor, a safety from Lawrenceville, Georgia by way of the IMG Academy in Florida.

Isaiah Pryor had a meteoric rise as a high school freshman and on the camp circuit in 2014, earning offers from Oklahoma, Georgia, and even Ohio State early into the process. Pryor's recruitment was intense through 2014 and 2015 as he visited just about every program of note in the country (and received offers from them). However, Pryor did this with the clear mission of finding a future home before his junior season. After his fourth visit to Ohio State for Friday Night Lights, he felt content he found it and offered a verbal commitment to the Buckeyes.

I recap his recruitment below and discuss the rationale for his commitment. Thereafter, I provide a scouting report for a safety prospect who looked like a complete package when he enrolled in January. I mention that Pryor looks like we can expect to see him on the field as a true freshman before closing with some highlight film for the reader to watch at the end of the feature.

HIS RECRUITMENT

Isaiah Pryor was a fast-rising prospect even as a high school freshman, earning a starting spot on his Archer High School team (Lawrenceville, Georgia) that finished the 2013 schedule with just the one loss in the second round of the state football playoffs. Entering the summer of 2014, Pryor was poised to be a star on the camp circuit as he pursued scholarship offers.

It starts, curiously, in Oklahoma. Pryor emerged as arguably the breakout star of a June 2014 Sooners football camp that featured a slew of talent, prominently five-star 2016 Arkansas signee, McTelvin Agim. Pryor was yet to start his sophomore year, but impressed onlookers with his ability to cover the best receivers in Norman that day. Oklahoma was quick to offer the rising star for the 2017 class.

The buzz Pryor generated that day in Norman carried for several months. Georgia and Tennessee offered. Kentucky threw in their hat as well. Pryor already held an offer from Iowa as a potential legacy commit (i.e. his father played for Hayden Frye in the 1980s and his brother had walked on there) and solicited interest from heavyweights like Michigan, Michigan State, and Notre Dame. Michigan and Michigan State, in particular, attracted Pryor's attention with unofficial visits in March and April of 2015. Both extended scholarships.

Pryor continued to attract major attention through the spring and summer of 2015. He visited Florida State and Auburn, even earning an offer from the Seminoles. Notre Dame, Penn State, and Stanford extended offers as well.

Ohio State was operating at the margins of Pryor's recruitment at this time even though Pryor was no stranger to the program. Ohio State offered Pryor around August 2014. He had already made two visits to the program, one for a camp as a freshman and another unofficial visit with his family. He returned for a third visit in June 2015, the one-day position camp. After reconnecting with Kerry Coombs, Pryor planned a fourth visit for what would be Friday Night Lights.

Pryor's story is unique since his whirlwind recruitment through the summers of 2014 and 2015 came with the clear mission of finding a home early into the recruitment process. He wanted to commit before his junior season started, an approach that would make him conspicuous among his peers in the same region and with the same list of major scholarship offers.

What followed was a flurry of camps and unofficial visits to an eclectic array of programs. This list includes California, Florida, Georgia, Indiana, LSU, Mississippi State, Stanford, Texas, Texas Christian UCLA, and USC before Pryor returned to Ohio State for Friday Night Lights. He made up his mind there.

HIS COMMITMENT

Isaiah Pryor committed to Ohio State on July 27, 2015 as the sixth member of what would become Ohio State's full 2017 recruiting class. He chose Ohio State over just about everybody of consequence in college football, but Georgia and Oklahoma seemed to be the primary competition for the Buckeyes.

Pryor cited the comfort level with Ohio State. Even though Pryor's courtship with programs like Florida, Georgia, Oklahoma, Michigan, Michigan State, and Notre Dame attracted more attention from recruiting outlets than Ohio State, Pryor's repeated visits to Ohio State led to a comfort level that other programs could not match. Pryor had no misgivings about committing to Ohio State and committing when he did.

WHERE HE EXCELS

Pryor made his first impact in high school as a cornerback for a talent-laden Archer High School team that eventually landed signees at places like Auburn, Duke, and South Carolina. He eventually grew into a safety's body and yet still played some cornerback for the IMG Academy (to which he eventually transferred).
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That's what impresses most about Pryor. He resembles a complete package at safety who could credibly challenge for day-one playing time. Enrolling early only helps.

Pryor is already a physically impressive prospect at 6-1.5 and 192 pounds, per Ohio State's measurements. He can match bigger receivers down the field from his safety position. He's reliable in run support, demonstrating great awareness of run plays as they develop and quickly shifting from his backpedal to run toward the ball carrier. In a pinch, he's demonstrated an ability to cover smaller receivers in the slot as well.

It's any wonder Pryor is not a five-star prospect.

MUST WORK ON

I only identified one major issue with Pryor; his form tackling needs work. Pryor gets to the ball carrier quickly. He even shows a nice ability to fight through and fit off blocks, almost resembling a linebacker in how well he does it. However, his tackling form needs work. He does not drive through tackles like you would want for someone in his position.

Beyond that, Pryor resembles a prospect that Greg Schiano will enjoy coaching.

REDSHIRT?

I've been burned in these features before, even for prospects that look like sure things. However, Pryor has been enrolled since January and there are openings for playing time at safety.

I expect Pryor to play, getting special teams time at the least. Watch his camp battles with Jordan Fuller at safety. That'll be an interesting story to develop in the summer.

HIGHLIGHTS

Here are junior-year highlights for Pryor.