Louisville junior free safety Calvin Pryor announced Sunday night via his Instagram account that he was turning pro, according to cardchronicle.com.
Pryor (6-foot-2, 208 pounds) was a first-team All-AAC performer who finished the season with 75 tackles, three interceptions, four pass breakups and two forced fumbles.
Pryor teamed with senior Hakeem Smith to give Louisville perhaps the most physical safety duo in the nation. Pryor became a starter midway through his true freshman season in 2011. He is a ferocious hitter (eight career forced fumbles) who improved in coverage this season; he had seven picks and 14 pass breakups in his career.
Pryor's lack of speed -- he seems likely to clock in the low 4.6 range in the 40 -- will bother some scouts, but he has good instincts and covers a lot of ground. He might be best-suited for strong safety at the next level.
One other Louisville junior went on Instagram to announce he was staying in school. Defensive end Lorenzo Mauldin (6-4, 243) was second on the team in sacks with 9.5 and tied for second in forced fumbles with three.
Two other Louisville juniors, quarterback Teddy Bridgewater and wide receiver DeVante Parker, are mulling their pro options.
Mike Huguenin can be reached at mike.huguenin@nfl.com. You also can follow him on Twitter @MikeHuguenin.
