Can a Couple of Walk-Ons Steal a Receiver Spot This Offseason?

LARAMIE -- Ayden Eberhardt didn't have a scholarship when he came to Wyoming. Neither did Wyatt Wieland.

Will Pelissier was a walk-on, too.

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Those three wide receivers turned their opportunity into a combined 150 catches for nearly 2,000 yards. That also included eight receiving touchdowns in a run-heavy offensive scheme.

Could Charlie Coenen and Tyler Nystrom follow that same path in this program?

"Look, I think Charlie and Tyler nice are two guys that are non-scholarship receivers, right now, that are nice football players," head coach Jay Sawvel said last Saturday, following his team's two-plus hour workout inside indoor practice facility. "As far as whether they've got a role to do certain things offensively or whether they got a role to do certain things special teams wise, they're both good athletes, intelligent people have physical bodies to them."

This current corps is expected to be led by familiar names like Jaylen Sargent and Chris Durr Jr. Sawvel was also impressed Saturday with the performances of Jaylan Bean and Bricen Brantley. Former 6-foot-6 tight end Clay Nanke will also get a look on the outside.

True freshman Deion DeBlanc and Northwest Missouri State transfer Eric Richardson, despite missing camp with a torn pectoral muscle, should also be in the mix, too. Same can be said for Jackson Holman, who spent last season at the University of Arizona.

"I feel like the transfer portal was super helpful for me to find a place where there's competition in the room and there's an opening for an outside position right now," said Holman, who looks the part at 6-foot-3, 206 pounds.

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Opportunities are there. Can this Minnesota duo take advantage?

Coenen, a three-time all-district selection out of Chanhassen High School, snagged 31 passes and turned that into 726 yards and eight touchdowns during his senior season. That's an average of 23.4 yards a catch. The junior also rushed the ball 26 times for 156 yards and a pair of scores. The 6-foot, 194-pounder also carved out a role on special teams, averaging 17.6 yards per punt return.

He was also named to the 2021 Minneapolis Star Tribune Second Team All-Metro team and was the district co-offensive MVP.

Coenen received an official offer from North Dakota State. Nystrom, despite being arguably the best wideout in Mounds View High School history, only received mild interest from the likes of St. Thomas and Western Illinois.

Former offensive coordinator Tim Polasek extended the preferred walk-on offer.

He accepted.

As a junior, Nystrom hauled in 70 balls for 693 yards and six touchdowns. He added 400 more and another six scores the following season. He was the No. 26 recruit in the state and claimed all-conference honors twice.

At 6-foot-2, 190 pounds -- not to mention under-recruited -- Gordie Haug said during that 2023 signing day that Nystrom could fall in line with the guys mentioned above, including Ryan Marquez, who also earned a scholarship before his senior campaign in Laramie.

"He kind of fits that mold for us, being a longer dude that can compete," the team's former recruiting coordinator said of the now redshirt freshman. "He's going to come in and do some good things."

That has been the case early in spring camp.

Coenen found plenty of openings in the secondary last Saturday. He came back for passes, dove for others. He also showed a burst after the catch. So did Nystrom, who also found himself in plenty of battles with corners Keany Parks, Markie Grant and others.

"I love Charlie Coenen," Sawvel said bluntly. "I think he's a really good person. Same thing with Tyler. They're in the same boat that way. It's good to see them do good things."

- University of Wyoming’s Top 50 Football Players