Michigan lands 23 on signing day, but not Pryor

2/6/2008 10:45 PM

By LARRY LAGE
AP Sports Writer

ANN ARBOR, Mich. (AP) -Rich Rodriguez's first recruiting class at Michigan might be remembered by star he didn't get.

Terrelle Pryor, the quarterback rated by some as the nation's No. 1 player, had a news conference Wednesday at Jeannette (Pa.) High School to say he was not ready to make a decision.

``He told us on CSTV that he was probably going to announce for Ohio State, but his dad talked him out of it,'' recruiting analyst Tom Lemming said.

It might be good news for the Wolverines, who can keep recruiting Pryor. But it may turn out to be bad for them because Penn State has made a late push and schools such as Oregon and possibly others may woo him to another campus.

``The only thing I can talk about are the guys that signed on this list,'' Rodriguez said when asked about Pryor.

Takkle.com's Bill Urbanik said it will not be a big loss for Rodriguez if the 6-foot-6, 235-pound Pryor chooses to play elsewhere.

``He's an athlete, but he's nothing like Pat White was at West Virginia for Rodriguez,'' said Urbanik, a former coach and scout. ``He's about twice and size, which hurts his quickness, so perhaps Rodriguez can find a better fit for his offense.''

After Rodriguez's news conference, the school announced two more players signed, including YouTube sensation Sam McGuffie.

The star running back from Texas had committed to former coach Lloyd Carr and recently reiterated his desire to stick with the school under Rodriguez.

Despite missing out on Pryor - at least temporarily - Michigan's recruiting class stacked up relatively well.

The Wolverines' class was ranked No. 9 by Rivals.com and No. 11 by Lemming, and both put Michigan second in the Big Ten behind the Buckeyes, before the addition of McGuffie.

``I don't get caught up in the rankings as much,'' Rodriguez said.

Michigan's class includes standouts such as offensive linemen Ricky Barnum of Florida and Grand Haven's Dann O'Neill, defensive backs Boubacar Cissoko of Detroit and New Jersey's Brandon Smith.

Wide receiver Darryl Stonum of Texas, who is a part of the class, is already enrolled in classes and working out in Ann Arbor.

While Rodriguez didn't sign Pryor, he did add a quarterback - Justin Feagin - to a team lacking depth at the position because freshman Ryan Mallett transferred to Arkansas.

``I know everybody is concerned about the quarterback position because that is the focal point of everybody's offense,'' Rodriguez said. ``But we'll be OK.''