Picking Notre Dame Was An ‘Easy Decision’ For Isaiah Pryor
Isaiah Pryor’s commitment to Notre Dame didn’t come as a surprise at all.
The Ohio State graduate transfer safety, who will enroll at Notre Dame in January with two years of eligibility in 2020 and 2021, officially visited Notre Dame Oct. 11-13.
Pryor returned to South Bend on Thursday, Oct. 31, and his father and mother arrived on Friday. The main reason for this visit was for Pryor’s mom to get to see Notre Dame. He was already leaning towards the Irish and didn’t visit any other schools as a transfer recruit.
The second visit Notre Dame went well, and the 6-2, 200-pounder told Blue & Gold Illustrated via phone call of his commitment to the Fighting Irish.
“I felt like throughout this whole process they made it a very easy decision, all of the coaches — Coach [Clark] Lea, Coach [Brian] Polian, Coach [Terry] Joseph, Coach [Brian] Kelly, Coach [Dave] Peloquin — all of them,” Pryor said. “They made sure we felt at home, and it was my mom’s first time there. They really made it feel like family.
“On top of that, they made sure we were all set academically and they laid everything out. Everything will be ready when I come here.”
As a recruit in the 2017 class, Pryor held more than 40 scholarship offers, and was ranked as the No. 12 safety and No. 106 overall prospect in the land. Not only was he recruited by Notre Dame as a high school prospect, but he was also courted by Texas A&M, the former employer of Irish safeties coach Terry Joseph.
“I talk to Coach Joseph all of the time,” Pryor said. “He’s a very easy person to talk to; him and Coach Lea actually. Especially since I knew Coach Joseph when he was at Texas A&M — that history and relationship is already there. I felt comfortable with him.”
Pryor is not only excited about playing for the Irish, but also getting a degree from Notre Dame.
“I just feel blessed that I’m in this situation, going to have a degree from Ohio State and an opportunity to get a master’s from Notre Dame,” Pryor said. “They’re allowing me to compete and play right away for a spot.”
Pryor’s positional fit at Notre Dame will be determined when he practices with the team in the 2020 spring. BGI football analyst Vince DeDario sees Pryor fitting in nicely at safety for the Irish.
“You do not have to look too much further than the play of Alohi Gilman,” DeDario said. “He will be a perfect fit in that spot as a box player in the dime package and an occasional blitzer as well.”
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