Adrian Onyiego’s Wyoming Recruiting Tale All-Too-Familiar
LARAMIE -- We've heard this story time and time again.
Wyoming's staff enters the fray early in the recruiting process. A relationship builds from there. Typically, an offer follows.
That was indeed the case for one of the Cowboys' earliest verbal commits, Adrian Onyiego.
Honesty is another word prospects often say about Craig Bohl and Co.
"They were different than any other school," said Onyiego, a linebacker-defensive end hybrid from Rogers, Minn. "They point out your strengths and weaknesses."
The 6-foot-2, 210-pound senior said Wyoming's proven track record at his position certainly didn't hurt, either. He's now very familiar with the names Logan Wilson and Chad Muma. Easton Gibbs will be watched closely this fall, too.
Onyiego tallied just 26 tackles during the 2022 season. He added a dozen more helpers.
Not impressed? Maybe this will help.
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Sixteen of those stops were tackles for loss. He tacked on four sacks, forced three fumbles and blocked a punt. The previous year, his sophomore campaign, Onyiego took down eight ball carriers behind the line of scrimmage. He added 2.5 sacks, forced another fumble and also landed a recovery.
A late bloomer? Maybe. Under-recruited? Well, that process, he said, didn't even start until early in 2023.
"I don't really look into rankings," said Onyiego, who has two stars behind his name on Rivals.com. "Some kids develop sooner rather than later. That all goes away when you get to college."
Wyoming offered first. The University of St. Thomas, an FCS school in St. Paul, Minn., followed. Iowa State kicked the tires on Onyiego. So did his home state Golden Gophers.
He chose Laramie.
"I was expecting it to be small with OK facilities," he said. "I was blown away when I got there. It was so welcoming there. It's so open. I loved the mountains and stuff."
Onyiego visited campus in April. He also took part in a junior camp at UW. What stuck out?
"That altitude. Wow," he laughed. "I told guys 'you can go in front of me.'"
Still, Onyiego said, he knew this was the place for him.
"As we talked more and more, I knew with the amount of attention they were giving me, an offer could be coming," he said, adding that UW offensive coordinator Tim Polasek made initial contact. "In that moment, I was shaking. It was amazing."
What does Onyiego bring to the table? In his own words, speed and explosiveness. He said determination will never be an issue. Even if he isn't making the play, he added, "I'll be close to the ball."
He has big ambitions, but he's also realistic. Remember, honesty built this relationship in the first place.
"My mentality is to go get developed by the amazing coaching staff at Wyoming," Onyiego said. "I trust them to make the right decision if I'm ready or not to play on Saturdays when the time comes."
Wyoming's 2024 verbal commitments:
* Adrian Onyiego - 6'2", 210 pounds - OLB/ DE - Rogers, Minn. - 2 stars
* Brycen Lotz - 6'5", 260 pounds - OL - Braham, Minn. - 2 stars
* Daegon Bryant - 6'2", 185 pounds - ATH - Bowling Green, Mo. - 2 stars
* Giovanni Panozzo - 6'6", 260 pounds - OL - Arvada, Colo. - 2 stars
* Hunter Kallstrom - 6'4", 220 pounds - ATH - Kerkhoven, Minn. - 2 stars
* Jordan Ochoa - 6'4", 220 pounds - DE - Castle Rock, Colo. - 2 stars
* Dash Bauman - 6'2", 180 pounds - OLB - Lincoln, Neb. - 0 stars
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