Phil Steele names seven Cowboys in Preseason All-MW teams

LARAMIE — Renowned sportswriter and analyst Phil Steele announced his Preseason Mountain West All-Conference team for this year's college football preview, and seven Wyoming Cowboys made the cut.

Leading the way for the Cowboys are junior running back Xazavian Valladay and junior center Keegan Cryder, who were both named by Steele to the Preseason First Team All-Mountain West squad.  Valladay is coming off a 2019 season in which he rushed for 1,265 yards and ranked 18th in the nation in rushing.  He was a First Team All-MW selection as a sophomore by MW head coaches and media.  Cryder was a Freshman All-American in 2018 as selected by the Football Writers Association of America (FWAA) and was a Second Team All-MW selection by MW head coaches and media in 2019.

Two Cowboy defenders were named to the Second Team.  Those two are junior middle linebacker Chad Muma and sophomore defensive end Solomon Byrd.  Byrd was named a Freshman All-American by the FWAA in 2019.  Muma will be Wyoming’s starting middle linebacker in 2020 after being the back-up the last two seasons for both Wyoming’s 2020 NFL Draft picks Logan Wilson and Cassh Maluia, who were the Pokes’ starting middle linebacker and weak-side linebacker.

A pair of Cowboy seniors were named to the Third Team.  Senior offensive guard Logan Harris and senior defensive end Garrett Crall were both selected.  Harris was an Honorable Mention All-MW honoree in 2019 as selected by MW head coaches and media.  For Crall, this is the first All-Conference honor of his career.

Sophomore free safety Rome Weber rounds out Wyoming’s selections as he was named to the Fourth Team.  Weber stepped into the starting lineup as a redshirt freshman at free safety in 2019 and proceeded to make an immediate impact for Wyoming. 

University of Wyoming press release