When it comes to running backs this recruiting season, the Sunshine State has a plethora of top-flight runners. One of the very best is Lonnie Pryor from Okeechobee (Fla.) High School. Last season as a junior, the a 6-1, 195-pound Pryor rushed for 1,735 yards and 20 touchdowns  while averaging 8 yards per carry.

"I don't have great speed, but I think I do have great vision," Pryor said. "I can cut back and run with power. But to be honest, I am more of a shaker. I am elusive. If there was one thing I want to work on it's my speed. I am a 4.5 guy but I would love to get faster. I want to get bigger as well."

According to Pryor, he has two dozen scholarship offers in writing. Some of the bigger ones are schools like Florida State, LSU, Auburn, Clemson, Georgia and Florida. Nebraska and Georgia were his most recent offers, while Wake Forest was his first.

"I was very surprised that Wake offered me when they did," he said. "I was still a sophomore or it was right after my sophomore year. I really didn't expect it that early. I never thought it would be like this. I mean I thought I was good, but I didn't expect this many offers. Seeing these schools and meeting these coaches has been a huge thrill. It's been kind of cool."
Pryor has unofficially visited FSU, Florida, South Florida, UCF, LSU, North Carolina, South Carolina and Wake Forest. Those trips have allowed him to determine an early leader in the race for his services.

"FSU is my favorite,” Pryor said. “I have liked them since I was little. They have always been my team. If Bobby Bowden leaves it wouldn't bother me. If I go there and Jimbo (Fisher) is there that would be great. We are close and talk every week. I like all the coaches and I have been there five times. FSU feels like home. I just have good feeling when I go there.

"I would say LSU is second right now. … They have a nice campus and everything at LSU is five-star. It's just a great place."

The other teams in Pryor’s top five are Georgia, Auburn and Clemson.

Although it's still relatively early in the recruiting process, it looks as though it's a two-team race for Pryor. How will he decide?

"Education is first. I want to go somewhere that if I didn't play football I could feel good about spending four years there. I have to like the coaches and it has to feel like family. The school has to fit me."

Midwest
North Chicago defensive end Anthony Wells wanted to test himself against Rivals250 offensive lineman Michael Schofield at the QB I Clinic at Maine South High School this week.
He passed the test and put himself squarely on the national recruiting radar because of his performance.

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Maybe it's his trademark Mohawk haircut. Maybe it's his amazing first step. Maybe it's his long, lean 6-foot-3, 209-pound frame. Maybe it's all of the above. Whatever Wells did, it worked - and it worked well.

Wells beat Schofield in several head-to-head battles in one-on-one drills, then continued to dominate against other top-flight competition. He beat Chicago four-star offensive lineman Leon Hill, and he also gave talented line prospect Sean Cascarano fits.

Cascarano and Hill were able to beat him late in the event, but in the end, it was clear the camp was Wells' coming-out party.

"This definitely is going to help me out," Wells said. "I have to thank Schofield. Him coming up here and letting me go head-to-head against him has really helped me get some good exposure. I just came out and tried to do my best. I guess I did."

Wells isn't just a workout warrior, though. He had a solid junior season, racking up 75 tackles, eight sacks and an interception. While he's still searching for his first offer, he hoped he proved he's good enough to play in the Big Ten or any other BCS-level league.

"I think I'm a Big Ten-level guy,” Wells said. “I just want to play in the Big Ten or another big-time conference. I just wanted to come out here and see where I was at. I heard a few national guys were going to be here, so I wanted to come out here and compete."

Heartland
Among a group of very talented defensive backs at Texas' Lancaster High School, Demontre Hurst is one of the best. At 5 feet 11 and 170 pounds, Hurst has good size. With a 4.4-second time in the 40-yard dash, he has speed. Consequently, Hurst has offers, too.

"Iowa and Colorado State have offered," Hurst said. "Kansas is coming to my school. I talked to Coach McGriff from Miami and I talked to Coach Neal from Oregon. Coach McGriff came and saw me last week and Coach Neal came and saw me Monday."

Despite the diverse interest, Hurst is wide open in his recruitment.

"Right now I don't really have a favorite because there's so many schools that I like now that they're looking at me," he said.

"I'm looking for a good football team, somewhere where I can feel like home almost. Just in case I go too far, I don't want to be out there where I can't have fun. [I'm looking for] good alumni and good surroundings around the school."

Hurst is busy with spring practice, but he recently competed in the Texas State track meet where Lancaster took home the state championship. Hurst’s 4x400 meter relay team came in second. Hurst also competed in the open 400 and the 4x200 and 4x100 during the season. His best time in the 400 this season was 48 seconds.

Because of his preoccupation with track, Hurst is playing a little bit of catch-up in spring ball.

"It's going good," he said. "I think I still have my job."