Confidence is No Issue for Wyoming Cornerback Tyrecus Davis
LARAMIE -- Trash talking is a "banned substance" in this program, according to Wyoming's new head coach Jay Sawvel.
That's news to Tyrecus Davis.
"The quarterback is going to hear me for sure," the senior cornerback beamed. On this day, that signal caller was his own teammate Evan Svoboda, who Davis nearly picked off twice on the same drive.
The first pass was a clean breakup. The second was tipped, falling to the turf just out of the reach of Davis' outstretched arms.
"I'm a big talker," Davis added. "The wide receivers are going to hear me, too."
MORE UW FOOTBALL NEWS VIA 7220SPORTS:
* Wyoming's Kaden Anderson proving to be worth the wait
* Mental, physical hurdles no longer hampering Sabastian Harsh
* Wyoming QB Carson May to Enter NCAA Transfer Portal
* 5 Takeaways From Wyoming's Open Spring Scrimmage
* Svoboda, Gyllenborg: 'We're blessed that they are here'
* Air Force loss last fall still not sitting well with these Pokes
* Cowboy football enters Week Three of spring practice
* Sawvel confident Pokes' pass rush will improve in '24
* Is John Hoyland's confidence back? Who said it left?
* WATCH: Wyoming football adds last names to jerseys
* Pokes Practice Report: Don't mistake kindness for weakness
* T'Vondre Sweat's compliment still reverberating for Pokes' O-line
On most days it's a tall task to get a word out of the 5-foot-10, 186-pound Greenville, Texas native. The cameras and recorders, he says, can bring out his shy side. His play on the field during his first season in Laramie spoke for itself. Sawvel calls Davis his best cover corner. That was true in 2023, too, he added.
A partially-torn MCL cost Davis four-plus games. The injury occurred during the Cowboys' miraculous 22-19 victory over Appalachian State in Week 4. He returned to the lineup in early November, tallying a solo tackle in a Border War win over rival Colorado State.
You might remember that one.
It came on a 4th-and-3 from the Rams' 45-yard line with less than a minute left in regulation. Brayden Fowler-Nicolosi dumped a pass to running back Vann Schield in the flat. Davis showed up with bad intentions, flattening the 215-pound ball carrier dead in his tracks.
Ball game.
While that was his only recorded stat of the night, it was a Davis hit on CSU's star receiver Tory Horton early in the second quarter that might have made the biggest impact. Horton was clearly hobbled after being hit low near the sidelines. That ankle injury, coupled with an undisclosed setback two weeks prior, was a shell of himself, snagging just seven passes for 58 yards.
"I hit Tory Horton hard," Davis said with a grin. "He came back in the game. He's tough. He's a very good player."
However ...
"I didn't have a hard time with nobody," he added.
Confidence clearly isn't an issue with the former JuCo product. Sawvel said if it wasn't for that setback last September, Davis would've started opposite Jakorey Hawkins all season.
Despite his size, Davis isn't afraid to get physical. He finished with 27 tackles a season ago, including five in meetings with UNLV and Hawaii.
Where does that tenacity come from? There's a little boy clinging to Davis' right leg. He just turned 3 years old. It's his son, Damari.
"I have a good lady at home," he smiled, referring to his girlfriend Katelynn Clark. "He loves football, though. We watch film, we watch all types of stuff. I can't wait for him to play.
Damari has a black smudge on his t-shirt. It's an autograph.
Who's?
"It's mine," Davis laughed.
Sawvel said it's this type of enthusiasm, along with life perspective, that makes Davis special. The "five or six picks" so far during spring camp doesn't hurt, either.
"You're going to get the same Tyrecus Davis everyday," he said. "He's going to be high-energy, he's going to be uber-competitive and he fights for his last piece of food. That's what I love about him."
MORE UW FOOTBALL NEWS VIA 7220SPORTS:
* Cowboys Entering Week 4 of Spring Camp
* Three Wyoming football players officially enter transfer portal
* Could Alex Conn slide into Wyoming starting front five?
* Ian Bell Leads Wyoming's Youth Movement in Secondary
* Sam Scott could be Mr. Do Everything in Pokes' new-look offense
* What jersey numbers are the new guys wearing?
* Pokes Practice Report: Sawvel era of to 'refreshing' start
* Wyoming's Wyatt Wieland says goodbye to football
* Andrew Peasley shows off arm strength in front of NFL scouts
* Deron Harrell not allowing major hip surgery to derail dream
* Will Wyoming remain conservative on fourth down?
* Sawvel unveils new third Wyoming football uniform
Davis is not only looking to build on a junior campaign that saw him haul in an interception, along with seven pass breakups, a forced fumble and a pair of recoveries, he's becoming a mentor for a group of young corners who are still trying to find their way. He wants players like Naz Hill and Ian Bell to get better and up to speed, he added.
He also wants some action.
"I hope so, so I can teach them a lesson," Davis said when asked if quarterbacks are still going to look his way, underestimating his stature. "I like to teach lessons, so I hope that's what they think."
University of Wyoming’s Top 50 Football Players
Gallery Credit: 7220Sports.com
- University of Wyoming’s Top 50 Football Players