VIRGINIA BEACH, VA - THI was at the Virginia Beach Sports Complex on Sunday afternoon and caught up with 4-star class of 2022 running back George Pettaway.
A Suffolk, VA, native, Pettaway is the No. 112 overall prospect in the 2022 class, the No. 5 ranked running back and the fourth-ranked player in the state of Virginia.
The 5-foot-11, 175-pounder has over 27 offers from programs across the country, with North Carolina one of the schools that has offered him.
Pettaway is also coming off a big performance last Friday night for his high school, Nansemond-Suffolk Academy, when he rushed for 300 yards and six touchdowns in the Saints’ 55-13 win over Catholic High School.
Above is the full video of our interview with Pettaway and below is the complete transcript of what Pettaway had to say:
THI: You had a huge performance on Friday night, what was that like and how nice has it been to finally be able to play some football again over these past few weeks?
PETTAWAY: “It just felt great. I’m still getting my feet wet. That was my third game last Friday. It’s just a blessing to be out there, not taking anything for granted, just keep grinding it out. I know going into every game they’re going to gameplan against me. And just staying true to myself, being patient, staying ready."
THI: We talked last June at the 757 G.A.M.E. Academy prospect camp, but I’ve been following you on social media and it looks like you’ve really been working on your body and game since then. What are the main things you’ve been focusing on developing?
PETTAWAY: “Ever since quarantine started, I just saw it as an opportunity for me to get better. For me, it was about getting bigger. I started with Giavanni Ruffin over the summer. All summer we've been working, getting the weights, but also working on the little things, stretching and just staying versatile as a player. Not being one dimensional. I think that's what I strived with the most. You'll see it on the film, but just staying versatile and this offseason getting better.”
THI: Let’s talk about your recruitment for a little bit, how is that process going and are there any frontrunners right now?
PETTAWAY: “It's tough not being able to visit, so right now I'm still doing the Zooms, getting to know the coaches, relationships and all that. But right now it's kind of tough, especially being in-season, just not being able to visit and see them in person, it’s just different. But I’ve got a couple people on my list I’m not gonna say.”
THI: How much of a challenge has it been for you to try to build relationships and communicate with coaches virtually during this COVID era?
PETTAWAY: “It's not so much the challenge for me now, but when it first started in the quarantine and all that stuff, it was kind of tough. Just knowing, if I wanted to talk to a coach or a whole coaching staff, I had to get on a Zoom meeting for an hour. Now I'm used to it, but it's kind of boring at the same time. So, I'm just still taking everything in and going through the process.”
THI: Let’s talk about North Carolina. Larry Porter was obviously hired as UNC’s new running backs coach a few months back. Have you had any communication with Porter and have you started to build a relationship with him?
PETTAWAY: “Most definitely. Ever since the first day he came, he had reached out to me and I reached out to coach (Mack) Brown and Dré Bly. We’ve just been building that relationship. It's crazy that coach (Robert) Gillespie left, but now Larry Porter is there, and I think he's gonna do a great job with that organization and those running backs.”
THI: You mentioned Dré Bly, what’s your relationship like with him?
PETTAWAY: “He’s from the 757, so he’s blood, he’s fam. He really looks out for the kids down here and he takes everything seriously. But yeah, with him and then coach Mack Brown, the support from him too. Just everybody over there at UNC.”
THI: What do you like about UNC?
PETTAWAY: “I haven’t visited yet a lot, but the stuff that sticks out is they definitely make it seem like it could be a real home for you and I think that's what best fits me I feel like. Other than that, they have great coaches, they show love, but I’m just still going through the process. No decisions yet.”
THI: What are you most looking for when it comes to picking a school? Is it the coaches, family atmosphere, facilities? Or just a little bit of everything?
PETTAWAY: “A family friendly atmosphere. Definitely relationships with all all the coaches, not just my position coach. Who I'm gonna be playing with, too, the players and how they take it seriously, stuff like that. Every place you go is gonna have great facilities I feel like, so that’s not big on me.”
