01/15/26: Purpose Over Pressure: Layton Fryfogle Journey

Jan 16

Beyond the Stat Line: Layton Fryfogle — Chosen, Tested, Unstoppable

Some players chase football.
Others are born into it and still have to fight for every step forward.

For Layton Fryfogle, football isn’t just a sport.
It’s family.
It’s faith.
It’s purpose.

A Class of 2027 kicker from George County High School in Lucedale, Mississippi, Layton comes from generations of football bloodlines: Arkansas Monticello, Ole Miss, Tennessee. Names, paths, and legacies that came before him.

But this story isn’t about living in someone else’s shadow.

It’s about becoming something more.

When Football Feels Like Home

Layton started playing football around eight years old, growing up inside the game. With a background in soccer, he wasn’t originally destined to be a Specialist. He played Linebacker. Halfback. Whatever the team needed.

Then football chose him.

An injury sidelined him before his eighth-grade season. When he returned for his Freshman year, the team was desperate for a kicker. Someone asked him to try.

He did.

And he didn’t just fill a gap; he changed the trajectory of his future.

By the time spring practice arrived, the varsity kicker had quit. A tryout followed. Three competitors. One opportunity.

Layton stepped up.

Afterward came the words every specialist remembers forever:

“Congratulations — You’ve got the job.”

When Belief Becomes Commitment

Ninth grade was the turning point.

Layton went 59-for-62 on extra points, drilled a game-winning kick, and realized this wasn’t luck.

This was ability.
This was potential.
This was direction.

That realization led to a hard decision, walking away from soccer to pour everything into kicking.

No half-measures.
No backup plan.

Just commitment.

Gratitude Over Ego

Ask Layton what moment he’s most proud of, and he won’t name a kick.

He says, “all of it.”

Every lesson.
Every miss.
Every rep.
Every test.

Because football hasn’t just shaped his game it’s shaped him.

That humility isn’t scripted.
It’s earned.

The Work Behind the Quiet Confidence

Layton trains five days a week, building his body and his craft with intention:

Plyometrics twice a week
Core and upper body twice a week
Kicking three times a week

Right now, his focus is simple and honest:
Get stronger.
Improve mobility / Get Flexible.

He understands that durability and consistency separate good kickers from trusted ones.

Mentally, he keeps it clean.

No overthinking.
Eyes on the ball.
Trust the swing.

That calm isn’t accidental; it’s learned.

A Father’s Influence

When Layton talks about who’s helped him most, the answer comes without hesitation.

His dad.

Not because he demanded greatness, but because he modeled it.

Camps.
Training.
Life lessons.
Work ethic.
Accountability.

“He tries to make me a better athlete so I can be better at my position and a better man.”

That foundation lasts longer than any stat line ever will.

A Test Bigger Than Football

Layton’s toughest challenge didn’t come on the field.

In eighth grade, doctors discovered a heart murmur and an aortic membrane. For many athletes, that would’ve introduced fear or ended the journey altogether.

Layton chose faith.

He worked.
He trained.
He trusted God.

He refused to let a diagnosis define his ceiling.

At his sophomore-year checkup, the doctor could barely hear the murmur and the membrane was gone.

He didn’t stop believing.
And he didn’t stop working.

Driven Without Shortcuts

Layton knows the road ahead isn’t easy.

He hasn’t had coaches making calls for him.
He hasn’t had doors opened automatically.

Outside of Kohl’s Kicking, much of the recruiting process has been on his shoulders.

And instead of complaining?

He’s working harder.

Because that’s who he is.

More Than a Kicker

Academically, Layton carries a 3.7 GPA, excelling in math.

Outside football, you’ll find him:

Working out
Fishing
Reading his Bible
Resetting and recharging

Hibachi or Chili’s with friends?
Either works.

This is a young man who knows who he is and what matters.

Eyes Fixed on the Goal

Short-term goal:
Be one of the best at every camp he attends.

Long-term vision:
The NFL.

Not because it’s flashy but because no one in his family has reached that level yet.

And Layton wants to be the one who does.

He understands college football is the proving ground; especially in disciplined, winning programs that develop athletes for the next level.

He’s patient.
He’s willing to wait.
He’s willing to earn it.

Message to Coaches

Here’s Layton Fryfogle’s handshake moment-

You’re getting someone who outworks the room.
Someone who won’t coast while others grind.
Someone whose faith grounds him, whose discipline drives him, and whose resilience has already been tested far beyond Friday nights.

On the field, he’s reliable.
Off the field, he brings belief, purpose, and character.

That matters.

Verified Performance

Height / Weight: 5’8”, 180