Ohio State Football: Former Buckeye joins Cincinnati

The Ohio State football team has officially lost a member from its 2023 roster. Former four-star, top-100 tailback Evan Pryor has joined the Cincinnati Bearcats. Pryor will have at least two years of eligibility left.

The former No. 84 overall ranked player in the 2021 recruiting class was a major win for running backs coach Tony Alford. Pryor, from Cornelius, North Carolina was coveted by most top programs, including Alabama and Clemson. But Alford was able to get Pryor's commitment and then keep it, even though five-star running back TreVeyon Henderson gave his verbal commitment after.

Pryor redshirted his freshman season and then was injured for all of 2022 with a torn patellar tendon. He only appeared in four games last season and recorded a total of 49 rushing yards. It would have been great to see what this kid could do fully healthy, but that obviously wasn't the case in his time spent in Columbus.

Now Pryor gets a new chance down I-71 South for a fresh start. The Bearcats are in desperate need of talent at the skill positions following the departure of former head coach Luke Fickell the year before. New head coach Scott Satterfield is trying to reshape the roster, especially at tailback where Evan Pryor is his second transfer into the room in the past two seasons. Former LSU running back and Cincinnati native, Corey Kiner joined the Bearcats as well and put up a 1,000-yard performance in his first season at Cincinnati.

Hopefully, this move will give Pryor the playing time that he wants. And who knows, if a healthy Evan Pryor emerges for UC, I wouldn't be surprised to see this former top recruit put up some monster numbers.

This move leaves little depth in the Ohio State running backs room, however. With Pryor gone, and Chip Trayanum now at Kentucky, Tony Alford will have to replenish his depth this offseason.