Ohio State makes the cut for an important four-star running back

As this Ohio State team begins to mold and take shape during these winter months, recruiting takes up a ton of time from the coaching staff. Even though the dead period is still in effect and a few weeks from ending, Ryan Day and his crew are still allowed to talk with their top targets, and have surely been doing that to the level that’s allowed at this time.

Thankfully, football isn’t too far away, as in just a few weeks spring practice will begin. With the spring football game slotted for April 11, this offseason at least has somewhat of an end in sight.

Pryor trims his list to six

Arguably the most important position in the 2021 recruiting class is the running back spot. No surprise to anyone, it is imperative the Buckeyes land an elite talent at the position, and hope to do so by getting their top choice. It’s been multiple classes now without hitting the “home run” and Ohio State doesn’t want that happening again.

Fortunately, they are once again in the thick of things with many of the nation’s best players at the position, but sealing the deal will the next step. As Ohio State looks to land not only one, but likely two guys at the position this cycle, it’s important that the Buckeyes continue building great relationships.

Yesterday, North Carolina native Evan Pryor released a list of six schools that he will be considering from here on out until the end of his recruitment. The No. 5 running back in the class for 2021, Pryor is also ranked as the fourth-best player in North Carolina and the No. 87 player in the country according to 247sports.

An elite running back that the Buckeyes would love to add to the roster, Pryor’s short list included North Carolina, Georgia, Oklahoma, USC, Penn State and Ohio State. The schools that are thought to be the real front-runners for Pryor at this point are the Buckeyes, Georgia, and Penn State. In fact, if you look at how Ohio State is recruiting Pryor, you can see how much of a priority he is to the Buckeyes for their 2021 class.

Pryor’s last visit to Columbus was this past fall when Ohio State played Penn State. More recently, position coach Tony Alford went to see Pryor this past January. In addition, Kevin Wilson also saw Pryor at his school in December, and if that’s not enough, Brian Hartline paid the star running back a visit as well, showing the full effort the Buckeye staff is using to pull this North Carolina product to Ohio.

The next issue will be getting him to return to Columbus to get a little more comfortable with Ohio State and how he can see himself fitting in the program. Speaking with Eleven Warriors, Pryor did mention that he does not have any visit dates set yet, but plans on visiting the Buckeyes this spring.

From here on out, if the Buckeyes want to be the final school standing at the end, they will need to showcase the two factors that stand out the most to Pryor. Relationships and NFL development are thought to be what he will be looking at the most, and Ohio State can certainly check both of those boxes.

Look for OSU to continue the full-court press in developing the best relationship possible with the young RB, and as far as the player development goes... Well, just tune in to the NFL Draft this spring.

Quick Hits

• After receiving a big ratings boost in the updated Rivals250 for the 2021 class, Reid Carrico’s impressive junior season has seen him shoot up all the way to becoming the No. 1 inside linebacker in the country according to the 247Sports Composite rankings. The four-star LB committed to Ohio State this past September, and will look to continue to prepare for the next level as he heads into his senior season.