'08 PA QB Terrelle Pryor (Ohio State Signee)

[wadc45]

Jeannette's Pryor delays his decision on college choice

Wednesday, February 06, 2008
By Mike White, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
Terrelle Pryor will conduct a news conference today to say there is no news.

Pryor, the all-everything quarterback at Jeannette High School, has decided not to announce his college choice today. It is just another twist in this recruiting saga. But a noon news conference will go on as scheduled in the Jeannette gymnasium.

"I won't change again. I'm not announcing," Pryor said this morning inside the gym, where a CSTV production crew was already setting up for the news conference.

The reason Pryor won't announce his college choice is Penn State.

"They're starting to creep up on me," Pryor said.

Pryor had said earlier in the week that Ohio State, Michigan and Penn State were his three finalists, but it was always believed Ohio State and Michigan were his top two choices. But he apparently is liking Penn State more and more.

"My dad likes them a lot," Pryor said. "He wants me to look into them."

Pryor also said his father doesn't see "the trust" in some of the coaches recruiting him that he sees in Penn State.

Pryor said he has no timetable on when he will make a decision. He said he will make an official visit to Penn State at some point, but not this weekend.

"I want to visit Penn State," Pryor said. "Whenever I get the feeling [on his favorite college], I'll do it. I haven't got that feeling yet."

Pryor said Penn State assistant coaches Tom Bradley and Jay Paterno have dealt more with his parents than any other school.

"Penn State has done a lot," Pryor said. "They showed up a lot more. They recruited me a lot more. They've sent pages upon pages of handwritten letters."

In the fall, Pryor had questioned Penn State's offensive style. Last week, Penn State coach Joe Paterno, Bradley and Jay Paterno all visited with Pryor at Jeannette. They also visited with his parents.

"I just didn't know about their offense because I never had a meeting with their coach," Pryor said. "I didn't know what they were about. I thought it was just a power offense. It's not."

ESPNU and CSTV planned to air Pryor's college announcement live. Jeannette school officials said this morning five tractor trailers for televison stations were expected at the school. Newspaper reporters from Washington, D.C., Pennsylvania, Ohio and Michigan all were expected to attend the news conference.

When asked why he was still having the news conference, Pryor said, "My principal still wants me to do it because everyone drove here. I know there are going to be a lot of questions why.

"People don't realize how many games I played with football and basketball. I've never had time to think. When I do have time to think, it's going to be a no-brainer."

When asked whether media officials will be upset that there will be no college decision, Pryor said, "I didn't tell them I was [definitely] signing. They decided to come. So it's on them. This isn't their decision. It's mine."

[wadc45]

Jeannette's Pryor won't sign today - Pittsburgh Tribune-Review

Pryor's mother, Thomasina (Toni) Pryor, said he told her earlier Tuesday he was 50/50 about making a decision.

"It stresses me out to see him stressed out," Toni Pryor said. "I don't care where he goes. I just want him to go where he'll be happy and content."

"He's not worried about playing right away," Craig Pryor said. "It will give him time to learn and adjust to the speed of the game."

Two Things About Terrelle Pryor - Josh Barr's Recruiting Insider

Two items caught my attention in this USA Today story about Terrelle Pryor. First, recruiting analyst Tom Lemming has an excellent point about the hype surrounding Pryor, saying that "ven though he's a unique player, in everybody's mind he becomes even better because people are giving him publicity." Second, comes this statement: "Like any high school quarterback, there's no guarantee Pryor will become a star in college, but his signing is important because a great recruiting class can sell tickets." Are you kidding? Guess Penn State, Ohio State and Michigan will have plenty of tickets for sale - below face value, no doubt, sorry scalpers - if they don't get Pryor.

Top recruit Pryor delays choice : Football Recruiting : GoVolsXtra.com

More of the same...

[wadc45]

Link

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.

[osugrad21]

Link

Pryor could salvage Lions? ?Bloody Wednesday?
02/11/2008




You couldn?t have scripted Wednesday any worse than it went for Penn State. And, you couldn?t have scripted it any better.




For the roller-coaster ride that was the Nittany Lions? recruiting season of 2007-08, perhaps a more fitting National Letter of Intent Signing Day saga couldn?t have been written.

Penn State?s signing day started by officially losing out on its top target at wide receiver. It continued with the loss of a speedy running back to a Big Ten rival. It ended by losing the last in a long line of offensive tackles that told its coaching staff, ?Thanks, but no thanks.?

Somewhere in between though, there?s another player who didn?t pick Penn State ? who didn?t pick anybody for that matter ? and can make Bloody Wednesday go away.

Terrelle Pryor is still a free-agent, and a darn good one.

The top-ranked quarterback in the nation is so good, a swarm of media, Steelers quarterback Charlie Batch, ESPN and four of the town?s 14 policemen packed into Jeannette High School?s gymnasium Wednesday to listen to Pryor decide not to decide. The kid with more public courtships than Paris Hilton couldn?t decide on his suitor. More like, wouldn?t decide.

And so, the most epic recruiting story ever lives on, long past what so many figured would be the final pages.

Cont...

[osugrad21]

Link

Pryor leaning on pro's wisdom

Steelers? Charlie Batch is a mentor for No. 1 QB recruit Terrelle Pryor

By Brian Eller and Josh Langenbacher
Collegian Staff Writer

JEANNETTE -- Terrelle Pryor showed up a few summers ago on basketball courts in Homestead, a small town where the rims are rustier than the train tracks that sit near the Monongahela River.
At the time he was one of 300 players who were part of Project C.H.U.C.K., a program run by Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Charlie Batch designed to uplift community children.
Since, Pryor's blossomed into the top recruit in the country, and Batch has been there every step along the way of a heated recruiting battle.
With Michigan, Ohio State, Oregon and Penn State all trying to ensure the dual-threat quarterback lands on their campus this fall, Batch has stepped in to help settle the chaos that comes along with college recruiting.
"Charlie coming into the picture has added normalcy for Terrelle," Jeannette coach Ray Reitz said.
Batch's role has been to question the schools on their development of Pryor and elicit other information to lay out the pros and cons of each situation.

Cont...

Link

MONDAY MADDEN: Wake me up when Pryor makes up his mind

Football star recruit Terrelle Pryor and Jeannette will play Center in the next round of the WPIAL Class AA basketball playoffs. (AP photo)



By Mark Madden, Special to The Times

Published: Monday, February 11, 2008 3:31 PM EST
As you read this, Jeannette High School mega-quarterback Terrelle Pryor may have picked a college. Or not. Who cares?

College recruiting is a sleazy, demeaning exercise. Teenage kids are treated like commodities, entering a world where ? once they reach an initial decision verbally ? they are endlessly badgered by adults to renege. Then, as they finally sign on the dotted line, the very best have their egos blown out of proportion even further by appearing on ESPN.

In Pryor?s case, he didn?t even have to sign to appear on ESPN. Pryor held a press conference to announce he hadn?t decided.

Cont....

Dispatch

Terrelle Pryor watch

Tuesday, February 12, 2008 2:56 AM



An update on the status of Terrelle Pryor, a prized quarterback recruit from Jeannette, Pa., who is considering Ohio State, Michigan, Penn State and Oregon. The deadline for signing a national letter of intent is April 1. ? Days since signing day: Six
? Developments: Bill Conley, a national recruiting analyst for ESPN.com, was a long-time recruiting coordinator for Ohio State. He said, "I think every day that Terrelle Pryor doesn't commit to Ohio State is not good. Because when you're the front-runner as Ohio State apparently was and the kid doesn't sign on signing day, other influences start coming in and you don't know what's going to happen. But I always used this tactic with kids who had second thoughts: 'Go back and remember why you picked Ohio State in the first place.' Usually they end up back with you. The kids mature enough to come to that conclusion are the ones you want."

Cont...

Pitts Tribune

Jeannette lineup loaded with talent

By Paul Schofield
TRIBUNE-REVIEW
Tuesday, February 12, 2008

When opposing coaches prepared for the Jeannette boys basketball team this season, their focus was on Terrelle Pryor. But opponents are finding out that Jeannette is more than just the 6-foot-5 1/2 Pryor, who averages 21.96 points per game.
Pryor has a lot of help this year. Shaw Sunder, a 6-3 senior, averages 12.5 points per game and Jordan Hall, a 5-10 junior, averages 14.5.
So, when Jeannette (16-4) battles Center (16-7) 8 p.m. Wednesday in a WPIAL Class AA second-round game at Baldwin High School, Jeannette coach Jim Nesser knows his team will face a challenge. Center is coached by Mark Jula.

Cont...

Canton w/ free video

OSU's Tressel still waiting for call from one recruit: Pryor
Tuesday, February 12, 2008
By Todd Porter
REPOSITORY SPORTS WRITER

CANTON TWP. These days, Jim Tressel is confident he is not acting like an expectant father. Then, in the middle of his speech to the Pro Football Hall of Fame Luncheon Club, his Blackberry vibrated. Tressel stopped to look at the message.

"My phone just went off," Tressel told the sold-out crowd. "It might be a recruit. If this phone rings, I'm taking it."

The group, which has listened to Tressel's shtick 22 straight years, laughed as loud as they could after trudging to Tozzi's on 12th during a bitterly cold afternoon.

Of course, everyone got the joke.

Cont...

[osugrad21]

DFP

ESPN ANALYST: 'Every day that Terrelle Pryor doesn't commit to Ohio State is not good'

February 12, 2008
FREE PRESS STAFF AND NEWS SERVICES
Michigan has signed 24 recruits, with a one spot for star prep quarterback Terrelle Pryor, who's yet to say where he wants to play in the fall.
Pryor is continuing to play basketball and has not visited Penn State or Oregon yet.

Pryor, the only QB in Pennsylvania history to rush for 4,000 yards and throw for 4,000 in his career, recently narrowed his choices to Oregon, Ohio State, Michigan and Penn State, with the Buckeyes and Wolverines apparently his top two choices. Ohio State looked to be the favorite.

Pryor said he plans to visit the Ducks.

Cont...

[wadc45]

Free from Rivals...pretty funny stuff.

Rivals.com College Football - Fans still waiting for Pryor's decision

[wadc45]

Surprise: Pryor a force in overtime win

Surprise: Pryor a force in overtime win
Class AA Boys: Jeannette 64, South Fayette 54
Sunday, February 17, 2008
By Mike White, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

Terrelle Pryor jawed with the South Fayette student section a few times in yesterday's contest. Two South Fayette students were escorted by police out of the gymnasium during the WPIAL Class AA playoff game.

After the contest, Pryor had to be held back from a confrontation with the students.

"People kept saying things," Pryor said. "I try not to listen to it, but it makes you mad."

Continued...

O-R Online

Jeannette outlasts South Fayette

BALDWIN - South Fayette matched Jeannette's energy. The Lions matched the Jayhawks' skill level. In terms of defensive intensity, the two WPIAL Class AA boys basketball powers were equals.

One area where Jeannette held a distinct advantage was athleticism, namely in the form of heralded senior Terrelle Pryor. And when Jeannette needed Pryor most, the nation's top football recruit delivered.

Pryor scored seven of his game-high 24 points in overtime as he led the Jayhawks past South Fayette, 64-54, Saturday in a tightly contested quarterfinal contest at Baldwin High School.

"They're not the toughest team to defend Xs and Os wise," South Fayette coach Rich Bonnaure said. "It's just the athleticism. We played hard but they played just as hard. (Pryor) is a big factor for them."

Continued...

O-R Online

Pryor: Needs to relax, ignore taunting because it's only going to get worse

His talents command that type of attention, whether he wants it or not. His talents also command unwanted attention, from hangers-on to a constant stream of autograph seekers.

Judging from Pryor's actions, the biggest pain comes on the basketball court, where the opposition's fan base harasses Pryor nonstop.

Continued...

[wadc45]

Rivals $

2/18

By Farrell...focused on basketball and thus hasn't had a chance to schedule anything with PSU and maintains that he would like to check out Oregon. Addresses the bashing he took from Mark May and admits he was set to sign with OSU on the 6th until he and his father agreed to continue looking.

[osugrad21]

Scout $

Coach Reitz says that he believes Terrelle has known for months that he wanted to go to tOSU and any visits are not going to change that. He also says Terrelle calls Coach Tressel often.

[osugrad21]

DFP

Terrelle Pryor talks, but not about recent hoops incident

FREE PRESS STAFF REPORTS ? February 18, 2008
Highly-ranked high school quarterback Terrelle Pryor recently told Rivals.com that not much has changed in his pursuit to pick a college.



Pryor, Jeannette (Pa.) quarterback, told everyone on national signing day that he had yet to choose between Michigan, Penn State, Ohio State and Oregon.
He's still not in that big of a hurry.]

"With the basketball playoffs going on, I don't really know my schedule," Pryor told Rivals.com. "So I haven't scheduled a visit with Penn State yet or done much there. We just won our quarterfinal game against South Fayette, so we keep on playing."

Pryor said that because of his schedule, he also hasn't visited Oregon but would like to before making a decision.

Cont...