Michigan was supposed to be the last school Terrelle Pryor visited before he made a college choice.
But yesterday, those plans changed, when Pryor informed the recruiting website Rivals.com that he has rescheduled his Michigan visit for this weekend.
The nation’s top-ranked prospect, according to Rivals, had previously scheduled his official visit for the first weekend in February, the last possible opportunity before he makes his decision on Feb. 6, National Signing Day, the first day recruits can sing National Letters of Intent.
It’s unclear whether Pryor moving his visit forward shows that the dual-threat quarterback is more or less interested in playing for the Wolverines. In recent weeks, most recruiting analysts considered Michigan and Ohio State Pryor’s main possible destinations.
Michigan reemerged on Pryor’s list of potential schools when Rich Rodriguez left West Virginia to become Michigan’s new head coach.
According to many sources, Pryor was one of the first people outside Rodriguez’s close circle of family and friends to learn the coach was leaving.
Thus far, Pryor has taken just one official visit, to Ohio State in early November.
According to Rivals, the Jeannette, Pa., native has scheduled a visit to LSU on the weekend of Jan. 25. The Tigers were not thought to be on Pryor’s list until yesterday.
“LSU is new,” Pryor told Rivals.com. “I spoke to (LSU offensive coordinator) Gary Crowton, and I liked a lot of what he was saying. I wouldn’t say they’re as high up as the others because I am just learning about them, but I like what they’re talking about in changing the offense for me.”
It’s still possible that Pryor will take a visit the first weekend in February, likely to Florida or Oregon, but nothing has been made official. Based on his new schedule, it’s unlikely Pryor will take an official visit to Penn State, Pittsburgh- and Philadelphia-area newspapers reported last week.
With Ryan Mallett’s departure from the football program last week, Pryor would be a serious contender for the starting quarterback job on next year’s team.
Steve Threet, a transfer from Georgia Tech, is considered a leading candidate for the starting spot if Pryor commits elsewhere.