College coaches know the moment high-profile recruits walk through their door, it’s only a matter of time before they’re walking out. Tick tock.

Rick Barnes knew he’d better squeeze everything he could out of Kevin Durant and Myles Turner during their one-year respite at Texas.

Shaka Smart did the same thing with one-and-dones like Jarrett Allen and Mo Bamba. Rodney Terry is following suit with Tre Johnson.

Terry and the Longhorns coaching staff got ahead of schedule with Devon Pryor.

The 6-foot-7 forward skipped his senior year of high school to enroll early. Last season at UT, Pryor got into 11 games, mostly in cameo roles, as he watched and learned. Now, the 19-year-old is starting to find his rhythm while his game and opportunity expand.

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“I think for me, the biggest thing was just understanding where I best fit into our program, into our system and where I could benefit other guys that maybe need more scoring,” Pryor said. “Or maybe I can make up some of the defense on the backside of things and just understanding my role and I really appreciate it.”

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Pryor should be halfway through his freshman season in college. He was ranked No. 21 overall in the state of Texas and No. 209 nationally by 247Sports in the final recruiting rankings for 2023. Instead, he’s technically a sophomore and fresh off a nine-point outing last Saturday against LSU.

“Coming in, I didn't have any expectation to really play, but I just wanted to get a jump start on the physicality and the understanding and, you know, pick up the pace,” Pryor said. “So I think that decision is starting to pay off a lot.”

Pryor’s father Alfred played basketball at Grambling State. Devon wears jersey No. 22 to honor his father, who wore the same number. Devon Pryor played on the demanding Adidas 3 Stripes Select Basketball summer league on a team coached by NBA All-Star Tracy McGrady.

In 12 games this season, Pryor is averaging 3.9 points in about 11 minutes per game. He’s shooting 55%, playing without fouling and learning his way from the ground up.

In another era, Pryor would be the prototypical Longhorns recruit who would stay at least three years, develop into a star and probably become a fan favorite. Now, it’s unclear if he’ll be in burnt orange come April.

Terry said it made sense to take Pryor early because of his body frame and clear talent. Pryor was one of the first athletes who made an unofficial visit once Terry got the job. The player made it clear to the new coach he wanted to leave Houston and join the Horns.

The coach probably wouldn’t take every high school junior who graduates early, though.

“I think it’s probably an individual type situation. I don't think it's for everybody,” Terry said.

“I think for kids that that have a chance or have a ceiling, like a guy like DP has, there’s a chance that he may not be in school for years. You know what I mean?,” Terry said. “So, you just kind of fast forward his process a lot quicker.”