Evan Pryor Talks Being a Power 5 Recruit and His Relationship with Georgia

8 years old. That is when Evan Pryor first got moved to the offensive side of the ball, quarterback. Pryor said, "I started playing when I was 5, but at 8 I got to play offense and they put me at quarterback. We would just run QB boot and I'd outrun everybody. From that point on I knew I very fast." Things didn't slow down from there, literally or figuratively. Going into 7th Grade, Pryor decided that he'd follow in the footsteps of his Father and make a position change. Evan stated, "My Dad used to play running back and we had been training and I just decided it's time." That decision has paid off, as now, Pryor is one of the more highly touted running back prospects in the country.

Evan Pryor can still "outrun everybody" with devastating 4.31 speed. That level of speed is a God-given weapon on the football field and Pryor uses it to wreak havoc upon opponents of William Amos Hough High School in Cornelius, North Carolina. In 2019, the nation's 6th ranked running back in the 2021 recruiting class, averaged 8.79 yards each and every time he touched the ball. With 1130 rushing yards and 684 receiving yards as a Junior, Pryor showed his explosiveness and left no questions for evaluators to answer except maybe, why did he not touch the ball more?

The speedster from the Tarheel State is a high priority for Dell McGee and the University of Georgia. However, they'll have plenty of competition to acquire the talents of Evan Pryor on their roster. Ohio State, Oregon, Penn State, and North Carolina are just a few of the many Power 5 programs that are in hot pursuit of Pryor.

Pryor is able to handle all of this in stride however and keeps things in perspective by understanding that big-time college football recruiting, "is more of a business" and according to Pryor, "that's how you have to treat it."

Pryor stressed that communication is key and it's important for programs interested in him too, "Keep in touch on a weekly basis and be honest and keep me informed on things that I need to hear. If programs can continue to keep me up to date on what's going on and how they can help to improve and develop me, they'll be alright."

As for the fancy edits that colleges send out and the dog (or Dawg) and pony show that these programs put on when recruits visit, Pryor says it doesn't change too much from place to place. "It's all basically the same, there are some things that they can tweak here or there. Some people may be able to sell weather or their history, but a lot of the process is the same."

What's more important to Evan is, "to get out there and see what type of people are in the area (of the University). Because it could be just a regular Wednesday, not during football season, and are you going to want to be around these types of people? I think just getting out and around and socializing on visits will help a lot (with his decision)."

Faith and Family are also two key things that Pryor leans upon for guidance and support. Evan's Dad, Mom, and Sister - who attends Penn State - are all people that he leans on for support and enjoys talking to about football and just life in general. As far as his faith goes, Pryor told Bulldog Maven, "God and I have a great relationship. I know that if I keep Him in mind and am continually talking to Him, that everything will be alright."

Evan made it clear that he enjoyed his visit to Athens, he and his family have a strong rapport with Dell McGee, and that Georgia will be in the mix going forward. Also, Pryor stated that he, "understands that you're going to have to compete anywhere that you go and that the next year they're going to try and bring in someone to replace you, so just go where you're comfortable and compete."

Pryor indicated that he wouldn't mind sharing a talented backfield and there are players out there that would be cool to team up with, such as fellow 4-Star Donovan Edwards that Pryor got to spend some time with on his recent visit to Athens.

However, with Pryor having decided to early enroll at whichever college he ultimately signs with, time is of the essence in the remainder of his days at William Amos Hough High School.

Pryor and the Huskies finished (8-5) last season and made an exit in the second round of the playoffs. Evan explained that his team was, "Disappointed with last year. Even though we were very young, we were able to do damage, but we had to learn how to handle big moments. That's where we were hurt. But, this year, we have basically the whole team back and a few kids have moved into the area that will help us even more. So, anything short of a state title will be a disappointment."

In order to help his team get that ring, Pryor has set some lofty personal goals for the 2020 season. "I feel like hitting the 1,500 or 2,000 rushing yard mark would be huge for me. Ultimately it'll be about staying healthy, producing and getting ready for the next level. I've done everything there is to do in high school but win a state title. So, whether that means they split me out some (at receiver) or play me on defense, whatever it takes to get that ring."

Evan is also an accomplished track and field athlete. When asked if he plans to run track in addition to playing football in college, Pryor indicated that he does. If Pryor ultimately chooses Georgia, he would be following in the footsteps of 2019 Pro Bowler and Super Bowl Champion Mecole Hardman and 2020 4-Star Receiver Arian Smith as dual-sport athletes for UGA.

Pryor indicated that he'd like to make his commitment official sometime this summer, but also explained that he will be closely analyzing games of the top programs recruiting him this fall to see how the running backs are being utilized.

One would think that with Todd Monken's track record of creatively using running backs, and often multiple backs at the same time, that his aspect of Pryor's recruiting would bode well for Georgia. Also, Evan desires to get a degree in communications and a career in broadcasting and it is well known, including by Mr. Pryor, that Georgia has produced a lot of sports television personalities.

Just like watching #3 for William Amos Hough play on Friday nights, the rest of this recruitment will be exciting to follow and it seems like Georgia has a lot to offer the young man from Cornelius, North Carolina, as we would to UGA if he decides to go from a Huskie to a Dawg.

Here's a look at Evan Pryor's highlight tape.

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