Blue and Gold Illustrated

PREP PROFILES Greer (S.C.) High cornerback Troy Pride committed to Virginia Tech Feb. 20 — but that doesn't mean his college re- cruitment is over with. Pride said he still talks with coaches from multiple pro- g r a m s , i n c l u d i n g Notre Dame running backs coach Autry Denson and defen- sive backs coach Todd Lyght. He also men- t i o n e d Te n n e s s e e , North Carolina and Maryland as schools still regularly in touch. "I'm still committed obviously, but these new schools have sparked my interest. I want to honor those offers — Notre Dame included — as well," Pride said. "I just need to visit up there and see what it's like. I couldn't make a fully educated decision if I haven't seen ev- erything." The 6-0, 165-pound cornerback — who is ranked as a three-star recruit and the No. 13 player in South Carolina by Rivals — still hasn't set up a specific visit date to South Bend, but he's work- ing on a schedule. One of the reasons he's so intrigued by the Irish is the play- ing experience of the coaches recruiting him. Denson suited up for the Irish from 1995-98, setting the school's all-time mark for career rushing yards be- fore heading to the NFL, while Lyght starred from 1987-90, earning first-team All-American honors and eventually becoming a first-round selection in the NFL Draft. " T h e c a l i b e r o f coaching that Notre Dame has is great," Pride said. "Coaches that were even former players can relate even better. They can tell you about their experi- ence there to help you guide yours. I love the coaching, number one. "Number two, I love the tradition and the winning attitude that Notre Dame has. They're kind of on their own; they don't want to be like anyone else. They want to be unique and be a different brand of football, and a different school. "I think Notre Dame is in a great place right now. They are one of the schools that I'm definitely interested in. It's big- time football, and they're playing on a different stage than anyone else, so you can showcase your talents better there. Then the degrees that they offer, the weight that they carry, are great for after football." Pride earned all-region II-AAA hon- ors after his junior season. In track, he won the Class AAA state title in the 400 meters with a time of 48.02. — Jordan Wells South Carolina Speedster Is Still Listening To Irish TROY PRIDE ✪ ✪ ✪ Greer High School Greer, S.C. Status: Offered Class: 2016 Position: Cornerback Ht.: 6-0 · Wt.: 165 40-Yard Dash: 4.38 Rivals Rankings: No. 13 player in South Carolina

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