Texas fans first heard the name Terrelle Pryor in 2007 when the nation's top quarterback prospect -- often compared favorably to Vince Young -- considered the Longhorns for his college destination. At 6-6, 235, he certainly looks like VY, but as the super prospect wraps up his freshman season at Ohio State, the differences between the two players are more pronounced than one might expect.
JUST THE NUMBERS
We begin with a look at Pryor's season statistics as a true freshman:
And now the game logs:
A few observations on the straight numbers:
- Though the athleticism and body size drew comparisons to Vince Young, for Texas fans who want to know what to expect from Ohio State's quarterback, the better comparison might be... Colt McCoy? Terrelle Pryor's rushing stats on the year: 124 rushes, 553 yards, 4.5 ypa. Colt McCoy's rushing stats on the year: 128 rushes, 576 yards, 4.5 ypa.
- Though McCoy was significantly more productive as a passer, Pryor is a far more polished passer than was Vince Young at this stage in his development. His efficiency numbers are very solid for an 18 year old kid. Though the Buckeyes prefer to keep his attempts down and control the game via the rush, his completion percentage and yards per attempt are both quite solid.
- One question I have: What should we make of the Big 10 after this bowl season? Penn State's supposedly strong defense got pistol whipped by a good-not-great USC offense. Minnesota, Northwestern, Michigan State, and Wisconsin were all bowl losers.
Next: Video and scouting on Pryor.