Catawba football kick returner earns Best In State special teams MVP honor

A game-breaking return specialist who brought two kickoffs back for touchdowns a year ago is our preseason Best In State special teams MVP for Division II.

Catawba football junior Kujuan Pryor earned first-team all-South Atlantic Conference honors a year ago as a returner. He’s on the preseason All-SAC Piedmont special teams list heading into this year as well.

Pryor, from Cherryville, ranked third in Division II last year, with an impressive 33.3 yards-per-return average. He brought back 18 kicks for 600 total yards. He returned one kick 95 yards for a touchdown against Tusculum (and had 178 total return yards that day). He also had an 88-yard TD return against Shorter the following week.

Pryor also contributes at wide receiver for the Indians. He caught 35 balls last season, including two for touchdowns. He earned second-team All-SAC Piedmont honors at that position in 2022.

The multi-purpose standout, who played at Burns High, even completed 10 passes last season, including one for a touchdown. He threw for 71 yards in a game against Limestone in 2022.

Catawba kicks off its season this Saturday at Elizabeth City State. Pryor and the Indians debut at home on Sept. 9, facing another CIAA foe in Livingstone.

.

More Catawba Headlines From NC Football News

• 
  D2 Stat Champions: Caldwell, Hayes, McDaniel claim receiving honorsJanuary 6, 2025
  Johnson C. Smith, UNC Pembroke, Lenoir-Rhyne standouts reach 1,000-yard mark
• 
  D2 Transfer Portal: Catawba All-American LJ Turner commits to West VirginiaJanuary 5, 2025
  Star D2 running back becomes Rich Rodriguez’s first transfer portal addition with Mountaineers
• 
  Rushing Kings of 2024: A Look at Every 100-Yard Game in North CarolinaDecember 31, 2024
  LJ Turner’s 329-yard masterpiece for Catawba headlines a bullish year for the ground game
• 
  D2 Stat Champions: UNC Pembroke’s Seth Bowen Takes Season Punting Crown December 30, 2024
  Winston-Salem State’s Devin Versteegen had best single-game punting average
• 
  D2 Stat Champions: UNCP’s Colin Johnson, Lenoir-Rhyne’s Jalen Ferguson Capture Passing CrownsDecember 28, 2024
  Ferguson threw for 3,276 yards during Bears’ playoff run; Johnson tallied 36 touchdown tosses

Eric Lusk Publisher & Editor

Eric Lusk started NC Football News in 2023. He's an old newspaper guy with a fondness for underdogs, redemption stories and the triple-option offense. He's a proud graduate of Jesse O. Sanderson High School and UNC's School of Journalism. He's thankful for God's mercy, family and second chances.

See Full Bio