Rich Rodriguez answers if he could have landed Terrelle Pryor had he stayed at West Virginia

During the 2007 season, West Virginia was oh so close to competing for a national championship. Head coach Rich Rodriguez had the Mountaineers rolling on the field and potentially in the recruiting world as well. However, Rodriguez promptly left for the Michigan job, taking over in Ann Arbor the following year.

At the same time, a massive recruitment was taking place. Quarterback Terrelle Pryor was up for grabs before eventually signing with the Ohio State Buckeyes. West Virginia was thought to be in the thick of it when Rodriguez was still the head coach.

So could Pryor have played for the Mountaineers? Rodriguez gave his take when recently asked by ESPN’s Pete Thamel.

“It still would have been a hard get,” Rodriguez said. “Because Ohio State, obviously, they had a big brand. I think our style of play and what Pat (White) was doing drew a lot of his interest. I think it would have been phenomenal. We tried to get him at Michigan because all the quarterbacks had left there.”

Rodriguez probably wishes Pryor had landed at Michigan. He wound up terrorizing the Wolverines during his playing days, winning three times in as many attempts. While the overall stats do not make your eyes pop out — 407 passing yards, five touchdowns, and three interceptions — the wins came at an average of 25.3 points per game.

Michigan fired Rodriguez following the 2010 season, making him the head coach for just three campaigns. One season was spent out of coaching before heading out West to take the Arizona job.

As for Pryor, he made his way to the NFL but never found much traction. The Oakland Raiders allowed him to start nine games in 2013, resulting in three wins. Pryor was in the league until 2019 where Jacksonville had him on the practice squad.

Not many people in college football have as many ‘What if’ scenarios as Rodriguez. The most famous of them all involves the Alabama job, flirting with the Crimson Tide before turning them down. Nick Saban eventually took over in Tuscaloosa and the rest is history.

Potentially getting Pryor to West Virginia is certainly another one. Had Michigan never come calling, Rodriguez would have stayed with the Mountaineers fresh off one of the best seasons in program history. Maybe Pryor never goes to Ohio State and gives WVU a great succession plan for White ahead of the 2008 season.