Former 8-Player star Layne Pryor is making an impact at tight end for UNI football

CEDAR FALLS — It took little time for Northern Iowa tight end Layne Pryor to begin making an impact for the Panthers.

After arriving on campus in the summer of 2021, the Woodbine native overcame especially long odds to contribute in six games as a true freshman.

While freshmen playing their first season isn’t uncommon, it’s much less so in the case of Pryor’s, coming from a small high school that played 8-player football.

“Eight-man football is a completely different game to 11-man, but it’s really fast-paced, so the ball is moving around a lot which is really fun,” Pryor said. “It’s a fun, entertaining game for sure.”

Pryor starred at Woodbine High School, collecting 211 career receptions for 3,512 yards and 52 touchdowns. Those were big enough numbers to graduate as the second-leading receiver in state 8-Player history.

Those numbers were, in large part, courtesy of his older brother Wyatt, who was the Tigers’ quarterback for three of his four seasons.

“We had that connection down for sure,” Pryor said.

Recruiting interest came late in his junior year, and UNI Coach Mark Farley’s pursuit of him as a tight end rather than a linebacker, is what ultimately made the difference.

“He’s got toughness, he’s got willpower, he’s got energy,” Farley said. “If you had a draft pick, I guarantee you he’s one of the first five picks on our football team. That’s how important he is to us.

“And he’s just learning the game, man. He is everything you want in a football player. He’s the whole package and the more he plays this game, the more he’ll get recognized.”

Despite the fact he no longer plays defense, Pryor still is respected for his toughness.

A recent social media video on the team’s account asked players who they would like to least be tackled by and Pryor’s name earned a mention.

“Yeah, I did see that (video),” Pryor said, laughing. “One of them was my roommate Matt Cook who said that, because he knows I’ll lay the boom on him.”

When it comes to finding his way on the field as a true freshman, the 6-foot-3, 251 pound tight end admitted it was a big adjustment from 8-player to 11-player football.

“... Coach Farley and the rest of the coaches pulled me along really well to where it feels normal playing 11-man football,” Pryor said. “Reading defenses before the snap (was tough). So when it comes to blocking scheme, route scheme and then trying to see what that defense is going to drop into that was probably the hardest thing for me.”

Last Saturday’s 44-41 win against Youngstown State provided more evidence of Pryor’s development as he reeled in a 13-yard touchdown catch in the first quarter, the second of his career.

Next up for Pryor and the Panthers is a road game at Indiana State this Saturday. The Sycamores are winless this season, but as an upperclassman he knows well that there are no gimme games in the Missouri Valley Football Conference.

“It’s just staying consistent and making plays throughout the game and not letting the moment get too big or too small,” Pryor said. “It’s just staying focused and doing what we do.”