Hamilton Has Been a Sledgehammer in Pokes’ Backfield This Spring

LARAMIE -- The are-you-kidding-me look plastered across the head coach's face said it all.

Is he worried about Nico Hamilton's fumbling issues this spring?

"Yeah," Jay Sawvel said bluntly, followed by an extended pause and a slight chuckle. "He better be a lot more concerned with it, too."

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The 5-foot-10, 214-pound redshirt freshman has impressed during camp, showing he can bang away between the tackles and catch the edge. He has another gear and certainly isn't afraid of contact.

That latter aspect of his game, though, has led to a few loose footballs.

"I wouldn't say he put anything on me, but it's for sure a chip I put on my shoulder," Hamilton said.

What is the Austin, Texas product doing to rectify the problem?

"I'm trying to get extra reps, doing stuff at home, and, you know, just being extra mindful of trying to get better," he added. "I wouldn't say they put any extra pressure on me, I put it on myself to get better."

Sawvel's rules are simple: "Look, that's gotta get cleaned up, or otherwise, the guy can't play."

Hamilton doesn't want that to happen again.

Last fall, his first with the program, he was on the field for just one single snap. That came against Utah State. The call, a jet sweep. Hamilton said he laid a pretty good block on the defensive end, too.

"I mean, I have the play on my phone," he laughed. "... It was probably like a gain of 10. I mean, after that, I felt like I gained a lot of trust."

Though the decision was made to preserve Hamilton's redshirt, he was slated to get his first real action over the final two weeks of the regular season.

With Harrison Waylee, Sam Scott and Dawaiian McNeely banged up, and DJ Jones no longer with the program, Hamilton was all set to receive his first collegiate reps against Boise State and Washington State.

"Was" being the keyword.

"I ended up getting the flu," he said. "I didn't get to showcase anything at that time, but I was ready to play."

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Despite rushing for nearly 3,400 yards and finding the end zone 29 times during his prep career at Lake Travis High School, Hamilton received minimal attention in recruiting. He had three stars behind his name, not to mention he was coming off a 1,273-yard season.

Along with his 6.6 yards per carry average, he scored nine touchdowns, including four in one 6A playoff game.

Mountain West rival Air Force offered Hamilton. The Naval Academy did, too. So did a host of Ivy League institutions like Brown, Columbia, Penn and Cornell.

He weighed his options, waiting until the February signing period to ink with the Cowboys.

Though his official visit was a month prior, on the snowiest day of the year, no less, Hamilton said he knew Laramie was "home."

"Even before I committed, just the football, the vibes, just everything that I've heard about Wyoming, is just good," he added. "So, you know, that was that."

The running back room looks a tad different this April.

Waylee is gone. So is McNeely and Jamari Ferrell. All three entered the NCAA Transfer Portal. Scott is still sidelined with a lingering knee bruise, too. That leaves just a trio of natural running backs: Dontae Burch, Terron Kellman and Hamilton.

In other words, opportunities out of the Cowboys' backfield have been abundant.

Hamilton, aside from a handful of blunders with the pigskin, has proven he has the goods to be a featured back.

"I think he's very talented," Wyoming's new running backs coach Gary Harrell said. "I don't think he understands how good he can be with his size and the way he moves. He makes some great plays here and there, but he's having some ball-security issues. When he runs, he looks good, you know, his mobility moving laterally. He's shown now he's able to get the ball downhill and run through contact.

"So, that's what we want to see out of Nico, but we got to see it on a consistent basis. We have some good days and we have some bad days, so, you know, we need to be consistent."

It's all a work in progress, Hamilton added. He's just taking it one handoff at a time.

"I feel very blessed," he said. "I mean, just the opportunity that I am getting right now, I'm able to showcase what I can do in front of the coaches every single day. Hopefully I'll earn a playing spot on the team for next year."

- University of Wyoming’s Top 50 Football Players