Once an unheralded recruit, Sam Schnee has become UNI’s latest great receiver

CEDAR FALLS — Northern Iowa’s next great wide receiver has seemingly come out of nowhere.

Redshirt senior Sam Schnee — an unheralded recruit who switched from running back after the 2021 spring season — has developed quickly and currently is on pace to become the Panthers’ next receiver with a 1,000-yard season.

“That’s kinda the spot every receiver wants to get to,” said Schnee, who has 32 catches for 557 yards and four touchdowns through six games this season. “If I could do that, that’d be awesome, but you try to keep that in your rearview.”

UNI’s last 1,000-yard season from a receiver was in 2019 when Isaiah Weston had 1,053 yards with only 43 receptions.

Schnee, at 5-foot-10, is quite the opposite of Weston, who stood 6-4. Weston became one of the program’s best deep-threat receivers of all-time, while Schnee has established himself as one of the program’s best possession receivers.

Doing so has required plenty of physical and mental progress from the Dubuque native, particularly recognizing coverages and making up for a lack of top-end speed with quickness in and out of routes.

“You get a lot of different (coverages) and as you get more experience playing you can identify those more,” Schnee said. “Then it goes into now you have a plan for what you’re going to do on each play.

“Now I feel like I’m at a point where I go out there and I’m not thinking as much. I have a plan and a backup plan.”

Schnee added recognizing coverages has been tougher this season because opponents have done more to disguise their looks after the Panthers led the Missouri Valley Football Conference in total offense in 2022. Despite that challenge, his chemistry with All-America quarterback Theo Day has seemingly grown.

“With Theo he definitely shoots it straight. He’ll tell you what he likes, what he doesn’t like when you’re out there and that goes into all the workouts we did this summer and all the extra work we put in,” Schnee said. “It definitely translates to the game.”

While he recorded his second 100-yard game of the season last Saturday in a 41-6 loss at No. 1 South Dakota State, three fumbles lost against the Jackrabbits has consequently resulted in ball security drills everyday at practice this week.

“You can take that stuff for granted sometimes,” Schnee said.

Next up for Schnee and the Panthers (3-3, 2-1) is North Dakota (4-2, 2-1) this Saturday. The Fighting Hawks are coming off an impressive, 49-24, win against then No. 7 North Dakota State.

Last season UND defeated the Panthers, 29-27 — a loss that proved to be as big a culprit as any for missing the playoffs. The Fighting Hawks have the opportunity to once again put UNI’s playoff hopes in jeopardy Saturday if they can deal the Panthers their fourth loss of the season.

“When you’re in conference play in the Valley every game pretty much has playoff implications,” Schnee said. “We’ve just got to get back to the offense we like to play (with) confidence out there.”