By Augusto Jiminez | ESPN College Football
BUFFALO, N.Y. — Four weeks ago, Chase Pryor wasn’t a household name. He wasn’t even the starting running back.
Now, after a jaw-dropping 292-yard, four-touchdown performance against Akron, he’s the most electric runner in the MAC, and one of the best stories in college football.
Pryor’s path to the national spotlight wasn’t traditional. It wasn’t smooth. It wasn’t even likely.
But it was his.
The Opportunity
When Buffalo’s lead back Al-Jay Henderson went down late in a Week 4 battle against Troy, the Bulls turned to Pryor, a true freshman. At the time, the former high school quarterback had logged just a few carries in mop-up duty.
All he did was help close out the win.
Seven carries. Thirty-eight yards. Game sealed. Buffalo improved to 4–0.
Since then?
Four straight 100-yard games. Nearly 700 rushing yards on the season. Eight touchdowns. A Player of the Week nod. And now, the best performance by a Buffalo running back since Jaret Patterson’s legendary eight-touchdown game in 2020.
“He’s got that rare gear,” offensive coordinator Dave Patenaude said after the win over Akron. “But more than that, he’s got something you can’t coach. Grit. Patience. Heart.”
The Journey
You’d be forgiven if you didn’t have Chase Pryor on your recruiting radar.
Coming out of tiny Livermore Falls, Maine, he was a dynamic high school running back on a team that hadn’t made the playoffs in a decade. He helped change that, scoring four touchdowns in a season-ending win that clinched a postseason berth. But the playoff run ended early and so did the program. The school shut down football entirely that offseason.
Pryor and his family relocated to Sleepy Hollow, New York, where he met head coach Robert Ella and started all over.
Ella saw something different in Pryor: not just a runner, but a leader. A decision-maker. He moved him to quarterback in the Horsemen’s new triple-option offense.
“I wasn’t sure about it at first,” Pryor admitted. “But I trusted Coach Ella. That system taught me to read defenses, to slow the game down. I think it’s helped more than anyone realizes.”
Pryor led Sleepy Hollow to a playoff win, earned interest from D-II schools and JUCOs, and finally a single FBS offer: Buffalo.
“That was it,” he said. “One shot. One school.”
He took it.
The Breakout
After a quiet camp and a few snaps behind Henderson, Pryor’s number was called to help close out a game and he’s never looked back.
Against Akron, he looked like a seasoned star. He broke off long runs, including a touchdown in the third quarter that covered 76 yards. He ran through arm tackles, cut on a dime, and turned inside zone handoffs into highlights.
The Bulls rode him all afternoon.
“He’s got great vision, it's like he sees two frames ahead,” said Bulls head coach Pete Lembo. “And his balance after contact? That’s grown man stuff.”
His final stat line:
30 carries, 292 yards, 4 touchdowns.
“Honestly, it didn’t hit me until after the game,” Pryor said. “I just wanted to win. I wanted to prove I belonged.”
The Future
With Henderson’s status uncertain and MAC play heating up, Pryor is now the clear RB1 and he’s running with it.
Still, he remains grounded. He texts Coach Ella after every game. Keeps a photo of his Livermore Falls team in his locker. Remembers the days when JUCO felt like the only option.
“I’m grateful,” he said. “For the struggle, the doubt, the change. Everyone who supported me and encouraged me to take this ride.”
From a town with no football program to the centerpiece of an FBS offense, Chase Pryor’s journey is proof that sometimes all you need is a single door to open, and the guts to sprint through it.
And sprint, he does.
