‘Evan Svoboda Will Be A Tight End Here Next Year’

LARAMIE -- Evan Svoboda's quarterback days are now behind him.

Jay Sawvel said last Monday he sat down with the junior to discuss the future and where the 6-foot-5, 245-pounder can best fit and help the team. The answer?

"Evan's going to tight end," Wyoming's head coach said Wednesday during his signing day press conference in Laramie. "He won't be taking snaps at quarterback. We met about that the other day and that's what he wanted to do. He was all for it."

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This isn't exactly breaking news.

After Svoboda was relegated to back-up duty after a loss at San Jose State, he called a meeting of his own. He wanted to contribute, even if that meant leaving the only real position he has ever known.

"That's just kind of how I've always been," Svoboda said in late November. "I just kind of put everybody ahead of me. It's just being selfless. I just want to do what's best for this team, what's best for these coaches and for the guys, my teammates.

"That's just my perspective and my mindset. So, whatever it takes to win -- I want to do that."

Svoboda, playing with a broken nose and a deviated septum, ran routes in a road loss to Border War rival Colorado State. He was never targeted, but was in for 10 offensive snaps. Again he was lined up on the edge of the line of scrimmage the following week against Boise State.

That is until the start of the third quarter.

Starter Kaden Anderson suffered a concussion on the second-to-final drive of the first half and was forced into protocol. He never returned to the field or sideline after his head bounced off the turf, courtesy of preseason All-American edge rusher Ahmed Hassanein.

Svoboda completed 6-of-13 passes for 87 yards in that frame. The Cowboys were unable to pull off the upset, falling to the No. 12 Broncos, 17-13.

Anderson, still recovering from that head injury, didn't make the trip to Pullman for the season finale. Svoboda again drew the assignment.

He went out with a bang.

With just 24 ticks remaining on the game clock and Wyoming facing a 4th-and-14 at the Washington State 18, Svoboda clapped his hands, reined in the shotgun snap, took his three-step drop and looked to his left. Cruising down the seam, tight end John Michael Gyllenborg snagged the pass and crossed the white stripe, giving the visitors a 15-14 advantage.

It would hold up.

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Svoboda, despite fumbling twice and throwing an interceptions, connected on 21-of-34 attempts for 206 yards and that scoring strike to his roommate. He also added 33 more yards on the ground inside Martin Stadium.

"Evan is one of the best people that you'll ever meet on earth," Sawvel said postgame. "And, in a sense, I just feel like, God blessed him with a really good drive tonight, in the fact of like, Hey, you deserve this one for everything that you've taken.

"I'm so happy for him. He's going to be a big piece of our program going forward in his last year."

The Arizona native joins a tight end room that should still include Gyllenborg. Those two will be joined by Isaac Schoenfeld, Justin Erb, Jake Wilson and Clay Nanke. Sawvel and Co. also added rookies Kyle Frendt and Landon Pace to the mix on Wednesday.

"When people come to spring practice, they're going to watch him out there blocking people and running routes. That's his transition now," Sawvel said of Svoboda. "He's excited for it and he's a person that's 100% all in on everything he does. So, the minute that we had a talk on Monday -- we had a long talk about it -- he was just like, this is what I want to do. I support that 100%."

Anderson is expected to return as the starter next season. Sawvel also said Wednesday he plans to add a junior college signal caller to the roster. Brady Jones, a 6-foot-4, 195-pound sophomore at Riverside City College, announced on social media he has received an offer from Wyoming. As of now, redshirt freshman Gage Brook and true freshman Deyon Batiste, are still on the roster.

The top-ranked prospect in the state, Gillette's Mason Drube, also signed his letter of intent last Wednesday. He will enroll in the spring.

- University of Wyoming’s Top 50 Football Players