Domino Effect: RB Evan Pryor's commitment to Ohio State

Sir Isaac Newton’s third law of physics states that for every action, there is an equal or opposite reaction. And while Newton wasn’t known for his love of football recruiting, his principles can easily be applied to the reaction a major commit can have on the recruiting landscape.

On Monday, four-star running back Evan Pryor committed to Ohio State over North Carolina and many others. Rated as the sixth-best running back in the class, Pryor also had Georgia and Penn State among his front-runners but this seemed to come down to the Buckeyes and the Tar Heels.

The Cornelius (N.C.) Hough standout had planned to take a late visit to Ohio State before making his decision, but with the coronavirus pandemic halting visits until April 15, that no longer became possible. That looked like it might benefit North Carolina, but Pryor said the diligent recruiting of coach Ryan Day and position coach Tony Alford was a huge selling point for the Buckeyes.

So was Ohio State’s ability to play for national titles almost every year - and it was another reason why the Buckeyes could not be beaten in his recruitment.

Today, we examine the other prospects that could be impacted by his decision.

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RELATED: How things stand with top uncommitted 2021 QBs | RBs

CLASS OF 2020 RANKINGS: Rivals250 | Position | Team | State

CLASS OF 2021 RANKINGS: Rivals250 | Position | Team | State

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The situation with Donovan Edwards and TreVeyon Henderson could get really interesting because the feeling is that Ohio State would take two running backs in this class and the Buckeyes are pushing for Edwards and Henderson to make their decision and lock up the spot. With Pryor in the fold, it could be that the first one who wants it, gets it. Throughout the last few months, though, Edwards has given the impression that he wants to take a lot of visits and see plenty of schools before getting locked into a decision. Michigan and many others are still pushing, but Ohio State would definitely want him.

Henderson could be in the same boat. If he committed to Ohio State today, the Buckeyes would happily take him. He just released his top nine of Virginia, Virginia Tech, Georgia, Texas, Ohio State, North Carolina, Penn State, Michigan and Oklahoma. He’s never been to Columbus, but he has a whole lot of interest in the Buckeyes.

The four-star has great relationships with all the schools recruiting him, so his recruitment could still go in a number of directions. Ohio State has the longer-standing relationship with Edwards, but it’s picked up a ton recently with Henderson and that could be telling.

Although he’s the top-rated all-purpose back in the 2021 class and the second-best prospect in the state of North Carolina, Pryor’s decision to commit to Ohio State really doesn’t play a major role at all in Shipley’s recruitment. Notre Dame and Clemson have emerged as the front-runners for the dynamic four-star prospect, and it looks like it could be a two-team race until decision time. If anything, this travel ban by the NCAA because of the coronavirus might impede Notre Dame a little bit, since Shipley was expected to be in South Bend for its huge junior day later this month. That won’t happen now.