Relationships are Important to Local Safety

2015_Andrew_Pryts_500x310
Andrew Pryts of Hickory High School

The 2016 recruiting class will make for Coach Pat Narduzzi’s first full class as the Head Coach for Pitt. One of the main areas of emphasis is to not let local talent get away. Narduzzi and his staff have already left a pretty good impression on a local Safety, Andrew Pryts, of Hickory High School.

Pryts (6’2” 195 lbs.) spoke with Dreambackfield.com about his most recent trip to Pitt and his thoughts on the coaching staff.

“I was offered by the old staff and when I talked to Coach Narduzzi, he reassured me that I still have an offer,” stated Pryts. “I’ve spoken with Coach Salem who came up to Hickory to talk to me and I’ve also spoken with Coach Conklin and Coach Harley.”

This wasn’t his first time interacting with Coach Narduzzi so there is familiarity between the two. “I had a relationship with Coach Narduzzi while he was at Michigan State”, Pryts said. “I like him a lot. I like Coach Harley and all the coaches, they’re all great guys and they make you feel at home.”

Speaking of home, Pryts is from Hermitage, Pa which is only a little over an hour outside of Pittsburgh. He stated that the coaches like that he’s a local prospect and they want to keep local athletes in the area and “run the state”.

He is being recruited as a strong safety and there is much to like about his film. The Pitt coaches have told Pryts that they like that he plays downhill and is physical, on top of being able to cover in space while helping to support the run.

Pryts happened to be at the Peterson Event Center for the upset of #8 Notre Dame on January 31st. It was only his second time attending a Pitt basketball game but it definitely left an impression. He said, “The Pete was awesome. It was loud and it shows how well the students support the sports. It was really cool.”

On top of his Pitt offer, Pryts holds offers from: Duke, Northwestern, Penn State, Rutgers, Stanford, Temple, Virginia and West Virginia.

During the spring and summer months, Pryts will be making many visits and trying to find out what school is best for him. “I want to take a visit to Duke, Virginia and Ohio State. Plus, I want to get out to Stanford at some point. I’ll be making trips to Pitt, Penn State and West Virginia too. I’m trying to figure everything out but nothing is set in stone.”

Right now, Pryts is focused on finding out about school’s academics all while building relationships with coaching staffs. “A big thing for me is fitting in, like where you fit in the program and how good the school is. You want to have good relationships with your coaches too, mainly your position coach.”

As far as the relationships at Pitt, Pryts already has one in Quarterback Chad Voytik. “I’ve known Chad a long time. He’s the cousin of a cousin. He’s my first cousin’s first cousin. I have a nice relationship with him and I’ve also talked to James Conner during bowl practice in December.”

He used to want to get the recruiting process over before his senior season but now, he says, “I want to fall in love with a place before I commit.”

Follow Andrew on Twitter: @bpryts30