Idaho linebacker Dylan Layne forges own path after brother left for New Mexico

MOSCOW, Idaho – This is a consequential year of transition for Dylan Layne.

He and his twin brother, Jack, came to Idaho as a package deal from Lake Oswego, Oregon, in 2022. While the spotlight of being a quarterback shone brightly on Jack, a highly decorated prep who flashed his ability to not only spin a great throw but to lead Idaho’s offense in a pair of starts as a freshman and sophomore backup to 2022 Jerry Rice award winner Gevani McCoy (an honor given to the most outstanding freshman in the Football Championship Subdivision) before becoming the Vandals’ starter in 2024, Dylan Layne had a more measured trip up the Idaho depth chart as a linebacker.

He played in one game as a freshman, recording a tackle against Drake, and played in all 13 games the following season as a redshirt freshman. He made 36 tackles with a sack and four tackles for loss, and broke up seven passes.

Last year Layne played in 11 games and made 13 tackles, including five in an FCS playoff win against Lehigh.

Then Idaho football was turned on its ear when coach Jacon Eck left after three years to become the coach at New Mexico. Jack Layne followed and is now starting for the Lobos. However, Dylan Layne, who can hardly remember a time when he and his brother were not together, weighed his options and decided to remain with the Vandals.

Idaho had a bunch of returning players from a team that had made the FCS quarterfinals two years in a row, and Layne could see the prospect of even greater things ahead.

Nonetheless, “it has been very different,” he said of splitting with his brother.

“It has been good for us. It is the first real time of being apart,” Layne said. “We can find our own way. We had been roommates for 20 years.”

The brothers still keep in close contact, and when New Mexico had a bye two weeks ago, Jack Layne returned to Moscow to see his brother and former teammates after the Vandals returned from their own game against San Jose State.

But now the Layne brothers have room to follow separate paths.

Dylan Layne set out to become a captain as a redshirt junior, which he has accomplished, and he is assuming a role as a successor in a legacy of outstanding Idaho linebackers.

Playing as a weakside and middle linebacker for the Vandals (2-3, 0-1 in the Big Sky Conference), he has 38 total tackles in five games, including 11/2 tackles for loss and a fumble recovery.

So far, he hasn’t had the opportunity to add to his total of pass break ups, but he is becoming more confident at stopping ball carriers.

“I think I have gotten way better at it. This year, I am more decisive in our run fits,” Layne said.

Becoming a captain had something to do with stepping out on his own.

“I have stepped into more of a vocal leadership role,” he said. “This off season, I began challenging guys, holding people to account vocally.”

On a player -led team, he adds, Layne is looking to himself as a role model.

Idaho this year has posted three-point road losses to Football Bowl Subdivision Washington State and San Jose State. It has FCS wins at home against St. Thomas and Utah Tech, and with an offensive backfield, receiver corps and defensive backfield depleted by injuries, the Vandals stayed within 11 points of Montana, 41-30, in Missoula in a battle between the Vandals and Grizzlies, ranked eighth and fourth respectively in the Stats Perform poll.

Since that loss, Idaho has slipped to 12th in the most recent Stats Perform poll and 15th in the American Football Coaches Association poll.

The Vandals have a bye this week to regroup, and they still have a clear path to the playoffs, but with a notably different identity than they have had the past three years.

“We have a lot more to prove this year,” sa id Layne. “Last year was Eck’s third year. There were a lot of veterans. This year we are unproven.”

The change in coaching staff from Eck to Thomas Ford Jr., an assistant with the Vandals in 2022-23, has brought fresh insights to Layne as Cort Dennison has taken over as Idaho’s defensive coordinator and linebackers coach. Layne finds himself dealing with a new depth of defensive football.

“I always thought of myself as a smart player,” Layne said. “I am way smarter with Dennison.”

The things that attracted Layne to Idaho, Moscow’s small-town atmosphere and the culture of family Eck instilled in the team, remain, Layne said , and he has been able to bring even more focus to football this year. He has already graduated from the UI College of Business and Economics, and he is working on a master’s of business administration. Since all the classes are on line, Layne said, he can spend all day at the Kibbie Dome, lifting, practicing and doing football-related activities.

In response to an observation that he is living the life of a pro player while forging his own path, Layne grinned.

“There’s no other way,” he said.