Jeannette, Pa., high school athletic phenom Terrelle Pryor doesn't sport a red cape or an ''S'' on his chest, but he does know how to draw a crowd.

He's rated the top player at his position by a number of recruiting services, including Rivals and Scouts Inc. He totaled 3,778 yards on offense his senior season: 1,899 yards rushing and 1,899 passing. He accounted for 58 of his team's touchdowns on the way to winning a number of awards in Pennsylvania and on a national level. His team won the state championship.

It's easy to see why Pryor has football coaches salivating to get him to sign on the dotted line Wednesday on National Signing Day. Among those still in the Pryor sweepstakes are Ohio State, Michigan and Penn State.

Last week, a report surfaced that quoted one of his coaches as saying that he thought Pryor was leaning toward Columbus, but he also took an official visit to Ann Arbor this month. Sources indicate that he is down to OSU or Michigan.

The young man has been savvy about not revealing his intentions. He even suggested in the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette that he might not sign until after Wednesday. He also might take an official visit to Oregon, according to the Post-Gazette.

The wacky regular season has become a wackier offseason with the drama that has been
Michigan's hiring of Rich Rodriguez from West Virginia.

Pryor hasn't weighed in on the war of words between Rodriguez and jilted WVU, but Rodriguez's offensive schemes have his attention.

Rodriguez's teams are known for running the spread-option offense, a style perfectly suited to Pryor's dual-threat skills.

''I don't think there would be as much drama with Terrelle Pryor had Michigan not hired Rich Rodriguez. Because that's what I think really turned the tables on this thing,'' said Tom Luginbill, national recruiting director for ESPN Scouts Inc. ''I really believe Ohio State, early on, was the front-runner as well as Tennessee until David Cutcliffe left for Duke. Then all of a sudden, the Rich Rodriguez scenario took place and vaulted this thing into the stratosphere.''

Luginbill gives the Wolverines a slight advantage in this quarterback derby because of Rodriguez.

''Terrelle Pryor can run that offense. He knows it. Rich Rodriguez knows it. And it would be an opportunity to start the process off with him in that scheme and have him essentially be the guy the minute he steps onto the field,'' Luginbill said. ''Not just because he's talented enough, but because he's the only one who can run it. And I think that obviously that has to be intriguing if you're Terrelle Pryor.''

There's also another consideration: Where does Pryor want to go in his football career? Is it just a means to get a college degree or is he looking beyond college to the pros?

If it's the former, Michigan or any number of places might be the best place for him. If it's the latter, OSU has a track record.

Consider the case of Cleveland native and eventual Heisman Trophy winner Troy Smith. When he assumed the quarterback's position, he thought run first, pass second. By the time he left OSU for the NFL Draft, coach Jim Tressel and his staff had changed Smith's game so that he evolved into a player who could win with his arm, too. The only thing that kept Smith from going higher in the draft was his perceived lack of size. At 6-foot-6 and 225 pounds, Pryor wouldn't have that problem.

Most recruiting experts acknowledge that Pryor's primary weakness comes in the passing game. Sports Illustrated's Takkle.com rates Pryor as just the 16th-best prospect in the country and second-best high school quarterback in the country, primarily because he's not as poised in the pocket.

''While there's no doubt that Pryor is a tremendous athlete and a dual threat to run or throw, there are some concerns about him as a quarterback,'' its analysis said. ''Can he drop back and make all the throws? Can he run the show in the college system? Time will tell, and as talented as he is, he's not a finished product. Still, he draws comparisons to Vince Young and has the skills to make an impact at the next level.''

Should he go to Michigan, even Luginbill acknowledges that his arrival will be greeted with a lot of expectations, probably unrealistic ones given that the Wolverines' roster isn't made up of players skilled in Rodriguez's system.

''I think Ohio State obviously gives Pryor a chance to get involved in the college game and get acclimated to the college life without being forced to perform right off the bat,'' he said. ''And surprisingly, I think the young man, deep down inside, feels that it would probably be better for him to redshirt and learn the game, especially in the passing game. I also think basketball is a big part of the equation and I think Ohio State might have a little bit of a leg up on everyone else.''

Ultimately, proximity and the fact that Tressel seems perfectly willing to allow Pryor to play his second favorite sport — basketball — could entice Pryor.

As a small forward on the Jeannette basketball team, he is ranked as the No. 10 hoops prospect by Scouts Inc. and No. 3 by Rivals. He committed to Pitt at the end of his sophomore season to play basketball, but that was before his football prowess hit the national stage.

Pryor averaged 21.2 points, 10 rebounds and seven assists in his junior season. OSU men's basketball coach Thad Matta probably would welcome him with open arms. And so would many of those in Buckeye Nation.