Welcome to Wyoming Football: Kendall Griffin

LARAMIE -- Wyoming, once again, has welcomed nearly 50 new faces to the roster this offseason.

Transfer portal era, am I right?

Get our free mobile app

Jay Sawvel again made a list of 10 "keepers" last December, heading into free agency. Running back Samuel "Tote" Harris was, no doubt, high on that list. So were defensive tackles Dante Drake and Jayden Williams. The Cowboys' third-year head coach also wanted to hang on to players like tight end Jake Wilson, wideout Deion DeBlanc, nickel corner Desman Hearns and offensive tackles Rex Johnsen and Braylon Jenkins, among others.

Mission accomplished. All are back for another round on the high plains.

The team did lose its top-four outside targets, including leading receiver Chris Durr Jr., who is now at Maryland. Two impact cornerbacks also hit the open market. Tyrese Boss is at Arizona. Markie Grant headed west to former conference rival Utah State.

Wyoming will also have a new quarterback under center, snagging William and Mary graduate transfer Tyler Hughes, who has one season of eligibility remaining. The hope is he'll right the ship at that spot, keeping the seat warm for Gillette's Mason Drube.

The Cowboys also reloaded in the offensive backfield and at the line of scrimmage, adding 1,000-yard rusher Markell Holman and interior linemen Chandler Donaway, Jason Maciejcak and Jeremiah Katt.

You'll read all about those guys, along with 20-plus freshmen, in this summer series: Welcome to Wyoming football.

NAME | Kendall Griffin

YEAR | Freshman

HT/WT | 5',11", 188

HOMETOWN | Chicago, Ill.

POSITION | Cornerback

JERSEY NUMBER | 19

PREVIOUS SCHOOL | Morgan Park High School

YEARS OF ELIGIBILITY | Four

NOTABLE | The Morgan Park pipeline continues in Laramie. The same high school in Chicago that produced cousins and future Cowboys Chris Durr Jr. and PJ Jackson has now gifted Wyoming with a three-star cornerback who was sought after by the likes of nearly every Mid-American Conference program and North Dakota State, among many others. Kendall Griffin chose UW after recording 45 tackles and five pass breakups during his senior season. He was one of six true freshmen to enroll early and take part in spring practice.

QUOTABLE | "He's uber-talented. His attention to detail is really good. He has a command of the position. Like, this is a bona-fide guy who might be playing for us this fall. He's got length. He's strong. You have an incoming freshman, first semester here, mid-year graduate, should still be in high school, you know, sitting in an algebra class or in a study hall, or whatever else through the day, and he was here. In the offseason, No. 1, you saw how hard he works in the weight room, how hard he worked in the running and all the offseason conditioning, how well he's picked up things defensively, how fundamentally good that he is, but also how much growth that he can have ... What I see of Kendall Griffin, that's a guy I would have recruited at Minnesota. So that's good thing." -- Wyoming head coach Jay Sawvel on the rookie corner.

WELCOME TO WYOMING SUMMER SERIES:

* LB - Anthony Beavers Jr.

* S - Jett Vincent

* WR - Justin Popovich

* QB - Tyler Hughes

* CB - Junus McGraw

* RB - Markell Holman

* CB - Logan Mackey

* S - Travis Franklin Jr.

* WR - Jayden Williams

* LB - Karson Butts

* S - Da'Marion Brownlee