Are Wyoming Players Being Tampered With? You Bet, Says Jay Sawvel

LARAMIE -- Jay Sawvel said don't dare compare what's happening in college football to NFL free agency.

Why?

Simple: The latter has rules. Tampering is the most-used word when it comes to the other.

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Is that currently going on at Wyoming? You bet.

"They get continually hit on, banged on, reached out to by all these third parties and everything else," the Cowboys' second-year head coach said, adding that he doesn't even feel comfortable saying he has a "team" yet until the spring transfer portal window closes April 25.

Kaden Anderson, the presumptive starting quarterback this fall, shared some communication with his head coach that he received a week before February's traditional signing day. Senior tight end John Michael Gyllenborg, according to Sawvel, has also been approached.

"I know a number of our guys have had that over and over and over again, and the problem with it is, there's no clarity to it. There's no definition to it," Sawvel said, referring to the lack of guidelines that come with college football's open market, which includes unlimited transfers. "Anybody who ever says that this is like NFL free agency anymore is so full of crap, because it's not anywhere close. There's governed restrictions and guidelines and bylaws to NFL free agency. There is no none of that to any of this.

"Someone could be contacted anytime, at any place. So, we just keep plugging along and keep working through it."

Sawvel said he had three "clear goals" after the final whistle blew Nov. 30 in Pullman: Sign a really good high school class, add an infusion of maturity, talent and competition and, lastly, keep this team together.

Wyoming, so far, has retained its leading passer (Anderson), receiver (Jaylen Sargent) and rusher (Sam Scott). The list also includes skill players like Harrison Waylee, Chris Durr Jr. and Gyllenborg. For Sawvel, though, the conversations began with the big boys up front: Caden Barnett, Wes King and Jack Walsh, who will make the move from guard to center this spring.

"They all feel like we could be good on offense and I agree with that," Sawvel added. "We've got to supplement and add pieces."

Defensive ends Sabastian Harsh and Tyce Westland, along with cornerback Keany Parks, nickelback Wrook Brown and nose guard Ben Florentine, among others, are still in the mix, too.

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It's admittedly a solid start, as long as this roster survives the outside temptations. Sawvel is speaking from experience. After the spring game last April, defensive tackle Gavin Meyer unexpectedly entered the portal at the 11th hour. The senior's NIL agent, Miles Jordan, broke the news on social media.

Meyer eventually signed with USC.

An irritated Sawvel shunned a question about that departure during the team's first fall practice, saying, "First of all, people who aren't in the program, I don't ever say their name. So, if they don't graduate and finish here, that's not going to be a thing."

On the surface, the Cowboys have lost 14 players to the portal this offseason.

Three -- wide receivers TK King (New Mexico State) and Justin Stevenson (Utah) , along with cornerback Tyrecus Davis -- were full-time starters. Rotation pieces -- edge rushers Braden Siders (West Virginia) and Ethan Day (North Texas), as well as defensive tackle Jaden Williams (Kentucky) and running back Jamari Ferrell -- are also gone.

Davis and Ferrell were thought to have exhausted their eligibility until an NCAA ruling granted former junior college players an additional year.

Sawvel and Co. did add 16 transfers, including three from the Power-4 level: wide receiver Jackson Holman (Arizona) and safeties Justin Taylor (Wisconsin) and Brooklyn Cheek (Cal).

Wyoming will replace seven starters on defense in 2025, including both safeties and linebackers. Sawvel said he will look to add an additional "3-to-4 players" in the spring portal, including a punter, a wide receiver or two and another running back.

If the season started tomorrow, the boss likes what he sees.

"I'm excited about the group right now, but we got a lot of work to do," Sawvel added. "I'm not going to write any checks we can't cash. It's one day at a time."

Spring practice is scheduled to begin March 25 in Laramie.

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