Can Longest-Tenured Cornerback Snag Starting Gig This Fall?

LARAMIE -- Who's up next?

Wyoming lost its top-three cornerbacks this offseason. Dainsus Miller, arguably the best cover man in the secondary, exhausted his eligibility after one fall in Laramie. Tyrese Boss and Markie Grant hit the open market in December. They are now at Arizona and Utah State, respectively.

Get our free mobile app

That unit, along with some additional help on the back end from a pair of veteran safeties, allowed just 175.5 yards per game through the air. That was the 14th-best mark in the country and second behind only San Diego State in the Mountain West.

After Saturday's scrimmage inside War Memorial Stadium, Jay Sawvel reiterated his belief that this could be the best defense he's fielded during his six seasons in Laramie, despite the fact only two starters -- safety Jones Thomas and defensive tackle Jayden Williams -- are returning to the mix.

It all hinges on one thing, though, if you ask the third-year head coach: the play at corner.

"We're a work in progress there," he said. "We don't have a youth clinic after next week's scrimmage, so you might want to bring a lunch for that (discussion)."

Now what?

The Cowboys' staff spent plenty of money in the winter after sifting through the NCAA Transfer Portal for the next fit. Weber State's Logan Mackey signed on the dotted line. So did Junus McGraw, who came to Laramie via West Liberty, a Division-II program in West Virginia. Kendall Griffin, a true freshman is already on campus, too. He came from Morgan Park in Chicago, the same high school that produced Chris Durr Jr. and current wideout PJ Jackson.

Is the answer already in house?

Tyson Shamsid-Deen was on the field for 28 defensive snaps during his rookie campaign. He was targeted six times, giving up three catches, including a touchdown. BJ Inmon, a transfer from Snow College in Utah, only saw action on special teams. David Leonard has also shown promise, according to Sawvel.

Could the remedy come in the form of the longest-tenured defensive back on this roster?

"I mean, we hope he can," Sawvel said last Tuesday, referring to Ian Bell, who is entering his fourth season in this 4-2-5 scheme. "There's a consistency of how you have to play. I've coached DB's for 30-plus years, right? There's an order of operations to being a good defensive back and No. 1 is: you don't give up big plays, OK? No. 2 is: you make plays.

"It's got to be in that order."

MORE UW FOOTBALL NEWS VIA 7220SPORTS:

* Josh Allen to Tyler Hughes: Wyoming Football 'One Step Away'

* New UW President on Athletics: 'We Will Compete'

* Landon Sims: 'You Can't Get Rid of Me That Easy'

* Sawvel Believes This Could Be His Best Defense at Wyoming

* Lofty Expectations Ahead for Desman Hearns

* Wyoming's Staff Expecting Inside Dominance From Jayden Williams

* PJ Jackson Looks an Awful Lot Like a Former UW Receiver

* Are the Cowboys Really Flirting With Adding an Option Attack?

* Sawvel on Newest Edge Rusher: 'He's a Psychopath'

* Like Faces, Jersey Numbers Also Change in UW Football Program

* Wyoming's New QB Shows Off Wheels in First Spring Practice

* Wyoming Football: Good, Bad and Ugly from 2025

* Sawvel Seeking Consistency From Kicking, Punting Operation

* Is There Really an Open QB Competition in Laramie?

Bell, a 6-foot-1, 194-pound junior, allowed four receptions in 2025 on the same number of targets. The damage was limited to just 63 yards, including a long of 39, but he also gave up a touchdown. He was on the field for just 79 snaps, still unable to take a stranglehold of a starting spot.

Why?

The La Verne, Calif., native said he can sum it all up in one word: injuries.

That included nagging foot pain in 2024 that limited him to just six tackles and a pass breakup. Though he did appear in all 12 games, Tyrecus Davis and Keany Parks won the gig in fall camp and never relinquished it. Last fall, Bell said it was a hand ailment that held him back. He was credited with just two stops while suiting up for only three games.

With a clean bill of health so far this spring, Bell said his focus is on physicality and utilizing the speed that once drew interest from the likes of Arizona, Colorado State and UNLV out of Damien High School.

He's also heard his coaches loud and clear.

"I really need to be consistent because, I'll be honest, I have on and off days," the soft-spoken Bell admitted.

How did he handle the loss of close friends Boss and Grant?

"I felt it was an opportunity for me to step up and have a bigger role in the corner room," he continued. "You know, now it's about attacking, just going and making plays and having that dog (in me)."

Sawvel wants to see that, too.

During the previous practice session, he added, Bell gave up a long ball over his outside shoulder. He said it could've been an even bigger play in a real game.

The microscope is on No. 3 this offseason. Can he be a playmaker or what Sawvel calls a "negative" at a position where touchdowns cost victories?

"He's got a base of experience," he said, referring to Bell appearing in 27 career outings. "He's played football and done that. It's like, you've been here long enough, that (big completion) can't happen. So, that's all part of it."

- University of Wyoming’s Top 50 Football Players