Clemson picked up a commitment Saturday from Cedartown (Ga.) running back Kobe Pryor.
Pryor announced his commitment to the Tigers via Instagram and a video on Twitter.
In this feature, The Clemson Insider breaks down Pryor’s commitment, what it means for the Tigers and more:
Profile:
Class, Position: 2020, running back
Hometown (High School): Cedartown, Ga. (Cedartown)
Height, Weight: 6-0, 212
Power Five offers: Clemson, Auburn, Duke, Georgia Tech, Louisville, LSU, Michigan, NC State, Nebraska, Notre Dame, Penn State, Pittsburgh, Purdue, South Carolina, Texas, Vanderbilt, Virginia Tech, Wake Forest, West Virginia
Ratings/Rankings: 3-star/No. 36 RB, No. 54 state of Georgia, NR national (Rivals); 3-star/No. 58 RB, No. 67 state of Georgia, No. 745 national (247Sports); 3-star/NR RB, NR state of Georgia, NR national (ESPN)
How Clemson got him:
Pryor picked up a slew of offers at the beginning of this year and saw his recruitment really gain traction in February when he received offers from Auburn, Michigan and Penn State among others. His stock continued to take off this spring when he added offers from Virginia Tech, Notre Dame, LSU and yes, Clemson.
The Tigers extended their offer to Pryor when he visited for a junior day in early March, and Clemson got him back on campus a month later for the Orange & White spring game. Co-offensive coordinator/running backs coach Tony Elliott thoroughly evaluated Pryor before locking in on him as a priority target, all the while building a strong relationship with the Peach State standout. Elliott and the Tigers made Pryor feel right at home and like he was a part of the Clemson family before he even committed.
A day after attending Clemson’s spring game, Pryor released a top 10 of Clemson, South Carolina, Penn State, Texas, Georgia Tech, West Virginia, Auburn, LSU, Georgia and Michigan in no specific order.
Pryor hails from the same high school as former Georgia star running back Nick Chubb, and the Bulldogs were believed to hold the cards in Pryor’s recruitment. But the in-state program never pulled the trigger on an offer, and Pryor did not want to wait any longer. So, on May 5, he set a commitment date of May 18 before committing to Clemson today over his other stated finalists – Auburn, Georgia Tech, LSU, South Carolina and Georgia.
What Clemson is getting:
In Pryor, Clemson is getting a power-style back that is adept at running between the tackles thanks to his physicality, footwork, vision and good burst. While he would not be classified as a burner – Pryor ran a 4.8 40-yard dash at The Opening combine in Atlanta earlier this spring – he still has solid speed and complements it with his size, strength, ability to shed tackles and knack for picking up tough yards. He should be a go-to guy in short-yardage situations, but can do more than just run over defenders – he can run around them, too, and has the potential to be an asset in the passing game as well.
As a junior last season, Pryor ran for close to 1,000 yards and averaged almost 10 yards per attempt despite sharing carries with West Virginia signee Tony Mathis. Pryor played a lot in the slot for Cedartown as well.
What his commitment means:
Clemson has planned to take a pair of running backs in the 2020 class and filled the second spot with Pryor after landing Lakeland (Fla.) five-star Demarkcus Bowman a couple of weeks ago.
Pryor is an underrated addition to the class as a prospect that isn’t highly touted by the major recruiting services. But neither were guys like Travis Etienne and Lyn-J Dixon, both of whom were rated as three-star prospects by at least one service, and things have worked out very well for them thus far.
Dabo Swinney has said it before – no one is stingier with an offer than Elliott, and Pryor checked all of the boxes Elliott was looking for, both on and off the field. Assuming Etienne turns pro as expected following his upcoming junior season, Pryor would have a chance to see significant action at the outset of his career and make an early impact in 2020.