Theodore football coach Steve Mask refers to Miami commit Bobby Pruitt as a “four-clipper.”

What exactly does that mean?

“When I had (former Auburn star linebacker) Tre Williams at St. Paul’s, (longtime college and NFL coach) Monte Kiffin told me he was a four-clipper,” Mask said Wednesday at Mobile County Media Day. “I didn’t know what he was talking about. He said if you watch four highlight clips, you can turn it off because the kid can play.

“Bobby is a four-clipper.”

Pruitt, a 4-star linebacker who can play on all three levels of defense, committed to the Hurricanes earlier this summer. However, he camped at Alabama last week and received a committable Tide offer in the process.

What, if anything, that means in his recruitment remains to be seen.

“It’s a great program,” Pruitt said of Alabama. “I really appreciate them. Kevin Steele, Nick Saban – I respect them all. Great program.”

The 6-foot-3, 187-pound Pruitt also has offers from Ole Miss, Arkansas, LSU and Florida among others in the SEC. He said he committed to Miami because he liked the plan the Hurricanes had for him, while many other schools were recruiting him as an athlete and weren’t sure what position he might eventually play for them.

“I feel like I want to play like a star, roll-down safety or linebacker so I can cover and hit in the box, too,” he said.

Mask has said Pruitt’s game reminds him of former St. Paul’s and Alabama safety Mark Barron.

“Bobby will play off the edge some for us,” he said. “He is also a great cover guy. He can cover people. That doesn’t get talked about a lot. At the next level, he is going to be asked to do that a lot, and that is why he is getting recruited at that level.

“We are going to use him a little on offense as well. (Senior quarterback) Cam (Rigby) likes the idea of throwing the ball to him some. Bobby is going to graduate. We are not going to hold him back. We are going to use him as much as we can wherever we can.”

Pruitt finished his junior season under former coach Eric Collier with 99 tackles, 15 tackles for a loss and three sacks. He also had eight quarterback hurries, two forced fumbles, five pass breakups and an interception.

He said Alabama coaches said his position were he to flip to the Crimson Tide would depend on his college size.

“If I get bigger, I could be a linebacker,” he said. “If I stay the same size, safety.”

Pruitt wanted to make sure Wednesday that the media knew his main focus right now was on the Theodore Bobcats. As for recruiting …

“I’m taking it slowly,” he said. “I have a couple of official offer papers that came in so I’m taking it slow. I’m really stuck on Miami, but I realize anything can happen in the future. Something could change or something could not. But I did commit to Miami for a reason.”

Pruitt and the Bobcats open the season at rival Baker on Aug. 25.

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