Notre Dame struck gold in the transfer portal, as Ohio State safety transfer Isaiah Pryor has committed to the Fighting Irish. How did it come together and what does it mean for the Fighting Irish?
Blue & Gold Illustrated breaks it down.
THE COMMITMENT
Back when Isaiah Pryor was a high school recruit in the class of 2017, he was considering Brian Kelly's Fighting Irish program. Pryor made a very early commitment to Ohio State, despite Notre Dame and many others pushing hard for the four-star recruit.
Up until Pryor put pen to paper with the Buckeyes, the Irish coaching staff, with previous defensive coordinator Brian VanGorder playing a big role in the recruitment, continued to recruit Pryor, but to no avail.
Rivals ranked Pryor as the No. 106 recruit in the nation, the No. 20 recruit in Florida, and No. 12 safety in the land. He started his high school career at Archer in the Atlanta area before transferring to IMG Academy in Bradenton, Fla.
As a freshman in 2017, Pryor played in all 14 games for Ohio State in a 12-2 season for the Buckeyes, capped off with a Cotton Bowl victory over USC. Pryor totaled 13 tackles and a sack on the year.
The following season, Pryor saw an expanded role in Ohio State's defense, and finished the year with 31 tackles, a tackle for loss, and an interception. He started in seven games and made a career-high six tackles at Purdue. He recorded his first career interception a week prior against Minnesota.
For this season, Ohio State had a revamped defense and new coaching staff, and Pryor's role diminished.
"Pryor slipped into a backup role with the Buckeyes behind Jordan Fuller at free safety and fighting for time with second-year safety Josh Proctor," Marc Gilver of Buckeye Grove wrote.
