How Did Wyoming Football Fare During This Transfer Portal Window?

LARAMIE -- The winter transfer portal deadline has come and gone.

There's one more 15-day window in the spring. The NCAA set that one for April 16-30. Expect that one to be much busier as FBS program's around the country whittle rosters down to 105 in preparation for the 2025 season.

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Wyoming has lost 14 players to college football's version of free agency, including four starters: edge rusher Braden Siders, cornerback Tyrecus Davis and wide receivers Tyler "TK" King and Justin Stevenson.

Davis is taking advantage of a new ruling that allows any senior in 2024 who played at least one season of junior-college football an additional year of eligibility. The Greenville, Texas product played two at Navarro C.C.

Fellow graduate transfer, running back Jamari Ferrell (Saddleback C.C.), is doing the same and is now on the open market. It's unclear if returner and wideout Caleb Cooley (Butte C.C.) will do the same.

Jaden Williams, a 6-foot-4, 290-pound defensive tackle, was a valuable piece to the Cowboys' rotating defensive front, tallying 20 tackles and half-a-sack. He committed to Kentucky midway through the month.

Read Sunn, a back-up linebacker and versatile special teams standout, has also signed with Eastern Washington. King, the only Wyoming player to land All-Mountain West honors as a kick returner, landed at New Mexico State.

Jay Sawvel and Co. have added 10 transfers themselves, including five in the secondary. Wyoming also signed 21 incoming freshmen in the 2025 recruiting class.

They aren't done stockpiling just yet, either, according to a source familiar with the situation.

The staff is still looking to add a quarterback, a running back, a defensive end and at least a pair of experienced wide receivers. That same source said the team landed their top offensive line target this weekend.

The Cowboy offense will head into winter conditioning with their starting quarterback Kaden Anderson, top-two running backs Harrison Waylee and Sam Scott, along with three leading receivers Jaylen Sargent, John Michael Gyllenborg and Chris Durr Jr.

Sawvel's top rookies, Gillette quarterback Mason Drube and Houston wideout Deion DeBlanc, will also arrive on campus this January.

Linemen Caden Barnett, Jack Walsh, Jake Davies, Nate Geiger, among others, also remain in Laramie.

This defense lost six starters to graduation, including both linebackers and safeties. That was to be expected. So were most of the departures on that side of the ball, per a source. Wyoming will welcome back key contributors in the trenches like Ben Florentine, Dante Drake and Jayden Williams. Defensive tackle Caleb Robinson, who missed the entire 2024 season with an injury, should also return to that unit.

Tyce Westland, Sabastian Harsh and Kevin Sjogren (injured in '24) will line up on the edge. Wrook Brown and his team-leading three interceptions will be back in the nickel spot, and first-year starting cornerback Keany Parks will also return. So will role players in the secondary like Andrew Johnson, Ian Bell and Caleb Merritt.

Sawvel is also high on his redshirt freshmen class. That includes linebackers Gary Rutherford and Dash Bauman, along with corners Markie Grant and tight end Jake Wilson.

Here's the full list of known incoming transfers:

* BJ Inmon - Sophomore - Cornerback - 5'11", 170 - Snow College - Las Vegas, Nev.

* Jaden DeCosta - Sophomore - Defensive back - 6'1", 200 - Portland State - Inglewood, Calif.

* Eric Richardson - Junior - Wide receiver - 6'1", 178 - NW Missouri State - Saint Robert, Mo.

* Brayden Wilson - Senior - Defensive end - 6'5", 255 - Weber State - Kaysville, Utah

* Ethan Stuhlsatz - Junior - Linebacker - 6'5", 225 - Lindenwood - Wichita, Kan.

* Justin Taylor - Sophomore - Safety - 6', 200 - Wisconsin - Broadview, Ill.

* Brayden Johnson - Senior - Linebacker - 6'3", 235 - Oklahoma Baptist - Ringling, Okla.

* Brooklyn Cheek - Freshman - Safety - 6'2", 195 - Cal - Oakdale, Calif.

* Desman Hearns - Junior - Nickelback - 6', 195 - Southern Illinois - Clearwater, Fla.

Here's the full list of outgoing transfers:

* Braden Siders - Grad transfer - Defensive end - 6'3", 252 - Thornton, Colo.

* Jaden Williams - Junior - Defensive tackle - 6'4", 290 - Inglewood, Calif. - (Signed by Kentucky)

* Koa McIntyre - Junior - Strong safety - 6'0", 210 - Fremont, Neb.

* Read Sunn - Senior - Linebacker - 6'2", 231 - Wasilla, Alaska - (Signed by Eastern Washington)

* Tyler "TK" King - Junior - Wide receiver/ Kick returner - 5'9", 180 - Houston, Texas - (Signed by New Mexico State)

* Nikos Varelas - Redshirt freshman - Safety - 5'10", 190 - San Antonio, Texas

* Ethan Day - Junior - Defensive end - 6'4", 255 - Ripon, Calif.

* Dawaiian McNeely - Senior - Running back - 6'2", 213 - Cares, Calif.

* Naz Hill - Sophomore - Cornerback - 6'3", 178 - Kankakee, Ill.

* Miles Tucker - Redshirt freshman - Safety - 6'0", 186 - Pleasanton, Calif.

* Kayden LaFramboise -Sophomore - Wide receiver - 6'4", 210 - Gillette, Wyo.

* Justin Stevenson - Sophomore - Wide receiver - 6'1", 192 - Katy, Texas

* Jamari Ferrell - Grad transfer - Running back - 5'8", 200 - Mission Viejo, Calif.

* Tyrecus Davis - Grad transfer - Cornerback - 5'10", 188 - Greenville, Texas

Let's breakdown these departures by the numbers:

That's the number of defensive players who have left the program since Dec. 9, the day the transfer portal opened.

That's the number of players who didn't start one game on either offense or defense last fall. In fact, five never started a game during their careers in Laramie.

Jamari Ferrell and Tyrecus Davis figured their collegiate careers were over after the Cowboys upset Washington State 15-14 in the regular-season finale. An NCAA ruling changed all of that. Now, these former junior college products have one additional season of eligibility.

That's the number of touchdowns Wyoming has lost to free agency from last season's 3-9 squad. Justin Stevenson was responsible for three of those. TK King added two, one via a 100-yard kick return at North Texas. Ferrell accounted for the last one on a short plunge into the end zone at New Mexico.

4.5

Braden Siders (3.5), Jaden Williams (0.5) and Ethan Day (0.5) registered this many sacks during the 2024 campaign. Wyoming finished with a total of 15.

440

The Cowboys have lost three wide receivers to the portal -- Kayden LaFramboise, King and Stevenson. Those three combined for 440 receiving yards on 34 grabs. LaFramboise, a native of Gillette, didn't get on the stat sheet during his second season in Laramie. The team's three-leading pass catchers -- Jaylen Sargent, John Michael Gyllenborg and Chris Durr Jr. -- capped the year with 84 catches for 1,253 yards and six touchdowns.

That's the number of interceptions this program lost to the portal this December. Davis snagged that one in the finale in Pullman.

That's how many carries out of the backfield three departures -- Dawaiian McNeely, King and Ferrell -- combined for last fall. Ferrell accounted for 80 of those and rolled up 318 yards on the ground. King added 100 yards and a pair of scores. McNeely was injured on both of his attempts and finished with a dozen yards. Returners Sam Scott and Harrison Waylee combined for 155.

109

That's the number of tackles that have walked out this door this offseason, led by Davis with 42. Siders added 22 and Williams chipped in with 20. Day finished with 19, Sunn had five and Naz Hill tallied one. Want a little perspective? Middle linebacker Shae Suiaunoa capped his senior season with 87 stops.

That's the total number of turnovers gained from two departures, Day and Davis. Both of those came in that November victory over the Cougars.

That's the number of pass breakups Davis had in 2024. He's the only transfer to get a hand on the ball last fall.

That's how many players Wyoming lost to free agency on the offensive line this offseason. Center Nofoafia Tulafono was the only graduate, too.

MORE UW FOOTBALL NEWS VIA 7220SPORTS:

* Wyoming RB enters portal after NCAA's "JUCO ruling'

* Wyoming's Tyrecus Davis granted extra year, enters portal

* Gillette product Kayden LaFramboise entering transfer portal

* Pokes snag freshman safety from Cal out of portal

* Wyoming WR Justin Stevenson entering transfer portal

* Cowboys sign Oklahoma Baptist linebacker Brayden Johnson

* Wyoming's secondary Wednesday lands another transfer

* Wyoming inks former Wisconsin safety Justin Taylor

* Wyoming Cowboys in the NFL: Week 15

* Pokes Land 6'5" Linebacker from Lindenwood

* Wyoming football Monday inks three transfers

* Dawaiian McNeely entering portal after five years in Laramie

* Cowboys lose another edge rusher to transfer portal

* Cornerback becomes seventh Cowboy to hit open market

* Wyoming LB Cole DeMarzo retiring from football

* Wyoming announces 2025 football matchups

* Wyoming Football: 2025 Transfer Portal Tracker

* Edge Rusher Braden Siders Looking Elsewhere to Cap Career

University of Wyoming’s Top 50 Football Players

During the summer of 2021, 7220Sports.com counted down the Top 50 football players in University of Wyoming history, presented by Premier Bone & Joint Centers, Worthy of Wyoming.

The rules are simple: What was the player's impact while in Laramie? That means NFL stats, draft status or any other accolade earned outside of UW is irrelevant when it comes to this list.

This isn't a one-man job. This task called for a panel of experts. Joining 7220's Cody Tucker are Robert Gagliardi, Jared Newland, Ryan Thorburn, and Kevin McKinney.

We all compiled our own list of 50 and let computer averages do the work. Think BCS -- only we hope this catalog is fairer.

Don't agree with a selection? Feel free to sound off on our Twitter: @7220sports - #Top50UWFB

Gallery Credit: 7220Sports.com

- University of Wyoming’s Top 50 Football Players