Former Ohio State running back Evan Pryor announced on social media Wednesday morning that he is transferring to Cincinnati. Pryor, who spent three seasons with the Buckeyes, has two seasons of collegiate eligibility left with head coach Scott Satterfield’s Bearcats.
The junior tailback, who posted on both his Instagram and Twitter accounts a photoshopped image of him in a Bearcats uniform with the caption “All Glory to God,” had a tumultuous three-year career with the Buckeyes that was mostly defined by injury. After appearing in just four games with the program as a freshman in 2021 and redshirting, the former four-star prospect tore his patellar tendon in his left knee during preseason training camp in 2022, an ailment that forced him to miss all of the 2022 season and part of the 2023 offseason.
Pryor returned to practice in August for fall camp, and proclaimed that he was back to full strength and had regained the explosiveness he had before his injury.
““I feel like I’m the freshest guy in the room, basically,” Pryor said on Aug. 5. “I’m back to 100 percent. I feel better than ever out there. So I just feel super fresh, I’ve been doing everything. I feel springy. I just can’t wait to get back out there.”
Despite feeling as healthy as ever, the junior still found himself towards the bottom of the running back depth chart all season behind TreVeyon Henderson, Chip Trayanum, Miyan Williams and Dallan Hayden. Appearing in just four games, he rushed for just 49 yards on 19 carries, while also collecting one reception for two yards.
Pryor will now vie for more playing time with the Bearcats in 2024, where he will likely compete for starting reps alongside junior Corey Kiner, who led the team in rushing in 2023 with 1,078 yards. Cincinnati had the third-best rushing offense in the Big 12 last season at 217.1 yards per game.
Pryor also becomes the second former Ohio State running back in as many days to commit to another Power Five program. He joins the senior Trayanum, who announced his transfer from Ohio State to Kentucky on Tuesday.
