Could Pryor end up in Morgantown?

By Dave Morrison
Sports Editor

January 24, 2008 11:44 pm

— Somebody get a tape of Wednesday night’s West Virginia-Marshall game to Terrelle Pryor, stat.
Actually, just a few first-half clips would do fine. That way he won’t have to endure the pain of watching the entire 2-hour, 20-minute farce that was the 2008 Capital “not so” Classic, won by WVU 66-64.
Specifically, make the cutups Jarrett Brown to illustrate exactly what a West Virginia football quarterback can do in basketball coach Bob Huggins’ program.
Did you catch Jarrett Brown?
He scored his first points as a Mountaineer, with five. “Downtown” Brown had a three-pointer and would have had another had he got the ball a split-second quicker, right before the first half ended.
Pryor, of course, is the top-rated prep quarterback in the nation. Think Patrick White at 6-foot-6. The Jeannette, Pa., resident is also one of the top small forwards in the nation.
You might remember that Pryor was leaning toward the Mountaineers when Rich Rodriguez was still coach at WVU. He is the recruit who “broke” the story about Rodriguez taking the Michigan job, saying “they made him an offer he couldn’t refuse.”
Rodriguez apparently called Pryor before he told his own players.
That’s how good this kid is.
Pryor immediately took West Virginia off his college list and added Michigan.
So why is he being mentioned with WVU again?
Word is, Huggins has been courting the blue-chipper, offering him a possible chance to play basketball at WVU as well as football.
I’m hearing that with more and more frequency. Never underestimate the magic of Bob Huggins.
Let me say this. I am among those who believe that Michigan and Rodriguez still hold the one trump card: Pryor will have a chance to play next fall, immediately.
Ohio State, meanwhile, is still in the mix with coach Jim Tressel willing to go as far as benching or moving quarterback Todd Boeckman (who just led the Buckeyes to the national title game) in favor of Pryor and the spread.
That’s how good this guy is.
Could he been swayed back into the WVU fold?
Never say never.
The way it would work is Pryor would take a football redshirt next fall and play basketball, while learning the QB position from White and Brown during the fall.
Then, the next year, he would battle Brown for the starting job vacated by the graduated White.
And, he could still play basketball once the football season ended.
Ohio State says it would be willing do something along the same lines.
Here’s another theory I’ve heard with regard to Pryor.
If he has any designs on playing QB at the next level, how much would he get out of playing in the Rich Rodriguez system? His version of the spread — the original selling point for Pryor, remember — features little in the vertical passing game and has zero semblance of a pro-style offense.
Granted, new WVU coach Bill Stewart plans on employing a lot of the elements of the spread already in place. And why not, with White in the fold.
But he has also said he will run out of the I-formation more and will look to have more of a vertical passing game in the game plan.
Plus, you have to like WVU’s staff overall better than that of Michigan, if you’re planning to get to the next level. There are a lot of decorated QB guys on staff already, like Doc Holliday.
Would you like to be a fly on the wall of Rich Rodriguez’s office if that happened?
While I still have doubts, with Huggins entering the equation, I wouldn’t bet against it.
— E-mail:
demorrison@register-herald.com