LARAMIE -- No other state has been more of a recruiting hotbed for the University of Wyoming than Colorado.

This list will prove that.

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Numerous UW Hall of Famers, NFL stars and program record holders began their football journey in that square to the south. The Cowboys' top rival, Colorado State, overlooked plenty of these guys. So did CU. Air Force even whiffed a time or two.

Some just flat out picked Laramie over Fort Collins, Boulder and Colorado Springs.

This summer, with the help of some longtime Wyoming football followers, we will count down the Top 25 Colorado products in program history. As always, what these guys did in professional football doesn't matter. This is all about production in Laramie.

 

DJ Johnson photo
DJ Johnson photo
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No. 13 - Chad Muma

Linebacker, 2018-21, Lone Tree, Colorado

 

Résumé in Laramie

Despite waiting his turn behind starters Logan Wilson and Cassh Maluia, Chad Muma burst on the scene in 2020, registering 71 tackles in just six games due to the Covid-19 pandemic. He was also ejected for targeting in a tilt with New Mexico. So, in reality, he did all that damage -- along with three sacks and eight tackles for loss -- in just five-and-a-half outings. Muma led the Mountain West in tackles that season. He was also ranked third nationally. He earned first-team all-conference honors in the process. The Lone Tree, Colo., product would do that again the next season, tallying a team-high 142 tackles, including 1.5 sacks and eight tackles for loss. He also added three interceptions and a pair of touchdowns. Muma, whose father Ty Muma and grandfather Rick Desmarais both played football at UW, was named a second team All-American by both the Walter Camp Football Foundation and Pro Football Focus (PFF) after the 2021 campaign. He was a third team All-America selection by the Associated Press. Muma was one of only six national finalists for the Butkus Award, honoring the nation's best linebacker. He was one of 18 national semifinalists for the Chuck Bednarik Award, recognizing the nation's most outstanding defensive player. Muma would hear his name called in the third round of the 2022 NFL Draft. He was taken No. 70 overall by the Jacksonville Jaguars. If Muma had started right away, and opted to stay in Laramie for an additional year, he would've easily cracked our Top 10.

 

About Lone Tree

Lone Tree, a city that is home to nearly 15,000 residents, is part of the Denver Metropolitan Area. Park Meadows, the largest shopping mall in the state, is this city's biggest attraction, boasting 185 stores and restaurants.

 

Pokes Football: Best of Colorado series:

No. 25

No. 24

No. 23

No. 22

No. 21

No. 20

No. 19

No. 18

No. 17

No. 16 

No. 15

No. 14

 

Pokes Football: Best of Wyoming series

 

(Cody Tucker and Jared Newland both work for Townsquare Media, which owns 7220sports.com. Kevin McKinney has been a color commentator of Cowboy football for five decades. Ryan Thorburn now works for the University of Wyoming in a sports information role after spending decades in the newspaper industry, most recently at the Casper Star-Tribune. Sally Ann Shurmur, the daughter of former UW football coach Fritz Shurmur, is also a veteran of the newspaper industry, working as a journalist, columnist at the CST for 43 years. She currently writes for Cowboy State Daily.)

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 GagliardiJared NewlandRyan 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

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