Welcome to Wyoming Football: Nathan Curry

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

Transfer portal era, am I right?

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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 | Nathan Curry

YEAR | Senior

HT/WT | 6', 196

HOMETOWN | Murfreesboro, Tenn.

POSITION | Long snapper

JERSEY NUMBER | 49

PREVIOUS SCHOOL | North Alabama

YEARS OF ELIGIBILITY | Two

NOTABLE | Jay Sawvel didn't sugarcoat his feelings about the shortcomings of the kicking/ punting operation last fall: It cost his team wins. This was never more apparent than during a 14-point home loss to UNLV. No, the hail-covered field certainly didn't help matters, but Wyoming's head coach said the snaps were off target and mechanics -- across the board -- were off. That led to two blocked punts returned for touchdowns. Some of that scrutiny was placed on the shoulders of senior snapper Carson York. Same can be said for some of the inconsistencies from first-year kicker Erik Sandvik, who missed four of his last five field-goal attempts. Can Nathan Curry cure some of those ills? Sawvel and Co. certainly hope so. Curry spent the previous three seasons at North Alabama, starting 35 career games at the FCS level. In 2025, he was named First Team All-UAC. He also landed on Phil Steele's postseason awards list.

QUOTABLE | "I like the way Nathan has operated. I thought the one big, positive the other day was his short-snapping, you know what I mean? Sandvik hit a 55-yarder Saturday, and a lot of it just had to do with the fact that everything was in rhythm: the ball was right where it needed to be, the ball got down, he hit a really good ball. We did the random 'off schedule' -- nobody had it on their schedule as far as just a random field goal today -- and he had to make a 46-yarder. To do that, the ball was right where it needed to be. So, I think he's done a good job with that part of it. Punt snapping, he's been pretty solid, too." -- UW head coach Jay Sawvel gives his thoughts on new senior snapper Nathan Curry during spring practice.

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