No pressure scenario was factor in decision

The phenom said he’s OK with learning behind Todd Boeckman.

COLUMBUS (AP) — Terrelle Pryor got the name of his new school wrong — he called it the University of Ohio State — but that was about the only thing that didn’t go right for him or the Buckeyes Wednesday.

Dubbed the nation’s top quarterback recruit, Pryor belatedly announced that he would join an Ohio State team where he can learn a college system under established senior quarterback Todd Boeckman, with no pressure to produce immediately.

It’s an ideal situation for a young player. It’s also an ideal situation for Ohio State, which had only three scholarship quarterbacks but only one who has played much.

“Todd Boeckman’s still there but it’s a long season. I can learn from a senior,” Pryor said at a news conference at his high school in Jeannette, Pa. “And whenever I can get in on some plays, I can make something happen.”

Ohio State coach Jim Tressel said Pryor can earn playing time right away. Some have already envisioned Pryor being used the same way Florida utilized Tim Tebo two years ago — coming in to spell the starter on plays built around what he can do best.

“The thing that you need to do as a coaching staff is get the people on the field that can make plays,” Tressel said. “He’s excited about learning the offense and helping any way he can. He has great respect for Todd Boeckman and all the rest of the guys. He wants to earn every single thing that he gets.”

Pryor is 6-foot-6, fast and with a good arm — attributes that make many compare him with current Tennessee Titans quarterback Vince Young. He chose Ohio State over Michigan, Penn State and Oregon, where he might have gotten to start sooner.

Boeckman won the job a year ago after Heisman Trophy winner Troy Smith graduated. He beat out Rob Schoenhoft for the starting job in the spring and had a strong season, with Schoenhoft then transferring to Delaware in January.

Heading into spring practice, Boeckman is a clear choice at No. 1, with Antonio Henton the backup. Joe Bauserman, a former minor-league baseball player, is also on the roster but has never played for the Buckeyes.

Pryor may visit a practice or two during the spring while he finishes up his high school work, but he won’t be on Ohio State’s campus full time until June 16 when he begins summer classes. He will work on conditioning and likely participate in unsupervised passing drills until full practices begin in early August for the season opener Aug. 30 against Youngstown State.

Pryor said Tressel had told him he would “work me in there” with Boeckman, who led the Buckeyes to an 11-2 record and a runner-up spot in the Bowl Championship Series title game last season for the second year in a row.

The addition of a tall and talented quarterback was a breakthrough for the Buckeyes, who were extremely thin at the position. Henton has only seen spot duty, in part because he sat out much of last year while under a legal cloud before pleading guilty to a minor misdemeanor count of loitering for prostitution.

Pryor instantly becomes one of the biggest recruits in the program’s history, ranking with linebacker Chris Spielman and quarterback Art Schlichter.

“I can’t recall recruits in recent history that had the type of attention and had the situation he’s had,” Tressel said.

Ohio State has seldom landed high-profile quarterback prospects, mostly because of the school’s reputation for churning out great running backs. Longtime coach Woody Hayes’ commitment to “three yards and a cloud of dust” wasn’t exactly a recruiting advertisement for quarterbacks.

With basketball over, his long-awaited decision behind him, and his college career in front of him, Pryor can now simplify his life.

“The weight of the world is off his shoulders right now,” Tressel said. “Now he’ll get to do what he loves to do, and that’s try and compete and become the best quarterback he can be.”