2021 North Carolina Four-Star Running Back Evan Pryor Commits To Ohio State

Ohio State’s run of commitments only continued when Cornelius (N.C.) William Amos Hough four-star running back Evan Pryor announced his decision just hours after three-star cornerback Devonta Smith made his commitment to the Buckeyes.

The 5-10, 190-pound Pryor — who is considered the sixth-best running back and No. 85 prospect overall in the class of 2021, having rushed for 3,674 yards and 42 touchdowns in his three-year varsity career — picked Ohio State over finalists Georgia, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Penn State and USC.

The Buckeyes are expected to take two running backs this cycle, and Pryor has been among the staff’s top targets at the position since he landed an offer from assistant coach Tony Alford last February. The two worked together during an instructional camp in Columbus in mid-June, then caught up again when Pryor returned to campus for an unofficial visit for the 28-17 win over the Nittany Lions on November.

Alford, offensive coordinator Kevin Wilson and wide receivers coach Brian Hartline also stopped by Pryor’s high school on separate occasions during the the January contact period, and those visits ended up being more significant than expected given Pryor’s unofficial visit, set for March 18-20, was cancelled thanks to the coronavirus outbreak.

Ohio State also overcame a late push from the Tar Heels, as Pryor took several unofficial visits to Chapel Hill in the last few months given the campus’ proximity to his hometown.

Pryor becomes the 13th member of Ohio State’s 2021 recruiting class, which remains the No. 1 class in 2021 according to 247Sports.

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