Jeannette, Pa., five-star quarterback and Scout.com’s top rated prospect Terrelle Pryor finally took a second official visit to Michigan over the weekend. Pryor was accompanied on his visit by Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Charlie Batch who has taken on the role of recruiting confidant to Pryor.
“It was a nice time at Michigan,” Pryor said. “I really liked the campus and everything. There are a lot of people there. Eastern Michigan is close and on the weekends a lot of other schools students are around Michigan.
“We went to the basketball game and the fans were all cheering my name and everything like they have at the other schools,” he said.
Batch, who played his high school ball at nearby Steel Valley was on a mission to find out everything he could find out about new Michigan head honcho Rich Rodriguez. According to Pryor, Batch asked a few questions.
“Charlie was all over them,” Pryor said. “He was asking Coach (Rich) Rodriguez a ton of questions. He just wants to make sure that the coach for the school that I would choose is going to develop me. He was asking all kinds of stuff about training techniques and stuff. He wants to know how they’d make me a better quarterback.
“I just tried to get to know the coaches and the players,” Pryor explained. “I met some pretty cool kids that were there visiting.”
One area of concern for Pryor is the offensive schemes that each team runs. He spoke at length with Rodriguez about that same very topic.
He (Rodriguez) talked about the offense,” Pryor said. “He wants to keep the same style. That is what knows and it is what he has won with.”
This weekend could be interesting, Pryor has told us that he is going to Pittsburgh with Batch just to talk with the coaching staff, but says he is not interested in the Panthers. Meanwhile, various reports have Pryor headed to Oregon, Duke and LSU. So stay tuned.
Western Pennsylvania offensive lineman Mike Farrell had narrowed his college choices to Miami of Ohio, where he figured to make an immediate impact, and Penn State, where cracking the starting lineup was likely to take a bit longer.
In the end, he chose the Nittany Lions, knowing full well that he'll have to pay his dues before seeing the field. But that's OK, because Happy Valley feels like home to him.
“I committed to Penn State late last night,” the 6-foot-6, 275-pounder said. “I had asked them if they cared if I visited Miami of Ohio. They said no, so I took the visit [this past weekend]. After that, I decided Penn State is best for me.”
Though his father is a PSU graduate, Farrell said he felt “no pressure” to pick the Lions. “The decision was all mine.”
Farrell , a standout tackle at Shadyside Academy in Pittsburgh, committed to Nittany Lion assistant Tom Bradley. He understands that the Lions are loaded on the offensive line for 2008, with all five starters returning.
After that, though, graduation losses will begin to free up positions.
“I'm definitely going to redshirt this year,” he said. “But then they'll have some openings on the offensive line, and I think I'll be ready.”
Mike Farrell
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Reston, Va., wide receiver A.J. Price visited Penn State over weekend as his recruitment was winding down and the result was positive for Nittany Lion fans.
“I actually committed to Penn State this morning,” Price said. “It was one of those things were you meet Joe Paterno and he tells you that he wants you on his team, you can't say no.”
Price visited with his mom and was hosted by current Penn State wide receiver Deon Butler.
“We got up to Penn State Friday around 3 o'clock,” Price said. “My host was Deon Butler and we hung out a lot all weekend. He was a really cool guy.
“It just felt like the right place; it is hard to explain,” Price said. “I really feel comfortable with Coach McQueary and Coach Johnson and trust them to take care of me at Penn State. It is really a family atmosphere and the academics and academic support is really what pushed them ahead of Virginia for me.”
Price brings a lot of size to the wide receiver position at 6-foot-4, 175 pounds.
Altoona, Pa., four-star wide receiver A.J. Alexander decommitted from Pittsburgh after learning that wide receiver coach Aubrey Hill had departed for Miami.
“I was talking to my teacher today about how much harder this decision is than people think,” Alexander told NoleDigest.com “It might make me look bad, but I am just confused about what I want. I have so many people calling me giving me reasons to come to their school. It truly is hard to pick.
“I’ve got coaches leaving messages from schools I haven’t heard from in a while.” He said. “You can’t help but listen to what they have to say. I joke sometimes I wish I had one offer so I knew I was going, but I am blessed to have this chance.”
This weekend the speedy athlete will be making his last official visit to Florida State.
Scout.com has learned through various sources that Pittsburgh (Pa.) Central Catholic athlete Dan Vaughan has given a verbal pledge to the Syracuse Orange.