Pryor moves before Ohio State anybody's guess

Terrelle Pryor’s announcement to attend Ohio State came and went without much mention in the land of the orange this week.

Who could blame Tennessee fans for barely taking note? After all, UT fans are more concerned about basketball (rightly so) and Pryor, the 6-foot-5, 235-pound quarterback from Jeannette (Pa.) High School, ruled out the Vols months ago.

Still, it’s hard not to imagine what might have been had former UT offensive coordinator David Cutcliffe not bolted to Duke. Some on campus felt Pryor was on his way toward picking the Vols before four offensive coaches decided their careers needed to continue elsewhere.

Whatever the odds — 1 in 2, 1 in 5, or 1 in 10 — Pryor was worth the shot that UT had. Undoubtedly, he would have been the most ballyhooed signee since Peyton Manning in 1994.

I’m sure you remember what happened then. Signing Manning proved to be one of the surefire signs that the Vols were on to bigger and better things, such as two SEC championships and a national title. Signing Manning was a sign that UT was one of the very best recruiting schools in the nation.

Even with the coaching staff intact, there’s no guarantee that the Vols would have landed Pryor.

Maybe Pryor would have determined that Knoxville was just too far away.

Maybe he would have determined that junior Jonathan Crompton would have been impossible to surpass on the depth chart in the next two years.

Maybe Pryor would have been dissuaded by the rash of off-field incidents UT had to endure in the weeks surrounding National Signing Day.

Maybe, and possibly even likely, Pryor would have ended up at Ohio State no matter what.

Pryor’s decision to attend Ohio State was curious, especially based off what he told UT early in his recruitment.

Pryor didn’t seem so concerned about playing for a quarterback guru as he first let on. That’s evident by his signing with the Buckeyes, who certainly don’t run an NFL offense.

Maybe all of the posturing was just that. UT fans will never know.

Action Jackson: Farragut offensive lineman Will Jackson still hasn’t received a scholarship offer from UT despite offers from several other schools.

The Vols, however, might not even be able to land Jackson if Alabama comes calling. The Crimson Tide, like UT, are still evaluating the 6-4, 280-pounder. With strong family ties to Alabama and the momentum that UT’s rival has created in recruiting, the Tide could be tough to beat.

Problem is, Jackson isn’t the best fit for either school. Both tend to run more straight ahead running attacks.

Jackson, who is lighter than most linemen and has great footwork, should think hard about falling in love with one of the many schools that have already fallen in love with him. West Virginia, for instance, was one of the first to offer a scholarship and has an offense that should better suit Jackson’s talents.

If Jackson signs with UT or Alabama, he’ll most likely play center. At another school that runs the spread option, he could play any of the five offensive line positions.

To the Gills … With Scholarships: Stephon Gilmore is quickly becoming one of the most prominent prospects on Tennessee’s board. The 6-2, 190-pound defensive back from South Pointe High in Rock Hill, S.C., is approaching 20 scholarship offers and figures to add two more prominent schools to his list soon.

Ohio State and Southern Cal have both said they’re close to offering. More competition is never good in recruiting, but UT is still in great shape.

Gilmore has always been fond of UT, having watched close friend and mentor Jonathan Hefney excel in Knoxville.

Dave Hooker covers recruiting. He can be reached at hookerd@knews.com.