Pokes Practice Report: Bohl Not Comfortable With Only Three QBs

LARAMIE -- I asked Gavin Beerup Tuesday night if he was ready to get back under center.

The sophomore quarterback-turned-wide receiver laughed and said his right shoulder isn't up for that task anymore. He attempted just 13 passes during his three seasons on campus. He completed two of those and tossed a pair of interceptions in mop-up duty before the position switch last fall.

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All kidding aside, Wyoming is in the QB market again after Hank Gibbs announced Saturday he would be entering the NCAA Transfer Portal, Craig Bohl said during his first press conference of the week.

Caden Becker, who was a three-star quarterback recruit in 2021, was moved to the defensive end spot this offseason. Like Gibbs, he also entered college football's version of free agency last Saturday afternoon.

"We have to have three," UW's head coach said, adding that it would be ideal to have a fourth signal caller behind incumbent Andrew Peasley, Evan Svoboda and Jayden Clemons.

There is a fourth quarterback on the current roster. That man is Kaden Anderson. The true freshman arrived in Laramie early but has been unable to participate thanks to an ACL tear midway through his senior season at Southlake Carroll in Texas.

Does this mean Bohl and Co. will be dipping into the portal before the spring window closes on April 30?

"We have to have three and we'd probably like to have four," he said. "We're looking right now to to add and supplement our squad. We have some candidates. Three is a little bit light. Four is probably gonna feel much more comfortable. I think we can get there."

Here are some other tidbits from Bohl's Tuesday meeting with the local press:

* Position change alert: Ethan Drewes has made the move from the defensive line to the offensive front. The Northern Colorado transfer appeared in six games for the Pokes last fall, lining up at the tackle spot.

* Bohl said his team has been working with limited bodies on the O-line all spring. Frank Crum is out. So is Caden Barnett. Emmanuel Pregnon, as I'm sure you have heard by now, entered the NCAA Transfer Portal last Saturday. Zach Watts, Eric Abojei (eligibility) and Marco Machado all hung up their cleats after the season. Bohl said he is in search of "eight competent players" up front. "We don't have eight right now, though," he said. "We're looking hard. There's guys that are over there working but, you know, if you go through a rigorous season like we're going to go through -- and I think we have some really good competition -- there's going to be some injuries. As a result, we have to prepare for that. Typically, if you can have eight, you can survive.

* Two linemen Bohl said he's keeping an eye on are Rex Johnsen and Wes King, both redshirt freshmen.

* Bohl has plenty to say about the NCAA Transfer Portal and the Power-5 personnel that is currently drooling over his roster. You can read all about that right HERE. Wyoming has lost a total of 12 players to free agency since the season ended last November. Two of those guys moved up to the P5 ranks while eight remain unsigned.

* Like last year's 7-5 squad, Bohl said this group has been fun to coach. He also raved about some of the new faces making plays inside of War Memorial Stadium on a windy Tuesday afternoon. "They continue to get better," he said. "You know, we talked to them at the beginning that we're going to teach them and train them and then we're going to trust them to go out and play. They're showing signs of improvement. We've got really good team chemistry and some ability."

* Kolbey Taylor, once again, was singled out by Bohl on Tuesday. The 6-foot-2, 186-pound sophomore cornerback is "showing signs of maturity," according to Bohl. So is junior corner Tyrecus Davis, who transferred to UW from Navarro College (Texas) in the offseason. "If you can be good at corner in this league, that really gives you a great opportunity," he said.

* Bohl also again pointed out the "promise" in the tight end room. Treyton Welch is coming off a 308-yard, five-touchdown 2022 campaign. John Michael Gyllenborg, Bohl added, is really working his way into that conversation.

* The focus this fall for the skill spots has been coming down with contested catches and racking up some additional yards after that snag. On the flipside, Bohl said the defensive backs weren't contesting enough balls, and despite being on the spot more times than not, too many tackles were missed, leading to big gains. "As you guys know, there were a lot of times we weren't wrapping up," he said. "We weren't finishing on a play that would be a four-yard loss that turned into an eight-yard gain."

* Wyoming's spring game is set for 2 p.m. Saturday, April 29 inside War Memorial Stadium. Admission is free.

* Miss any UW football news? We have you covered right here:

* Wyoming's Craig Bohl still vows to develop despite P5 admiration

* Pokes lose three to NCAA Transfer Portal, overall count now at 12

* Pokes Practice Report: Saturday scrimmage a real dress rehearsal

* Cole Godbout prepping for final ride in Laramie

* Wyoming QB Hank Gibbs entering NCAA Transfer Portal 

* Potential Landed an Untapped John Michael Gyllenborg at UW

* DQ James on fallen teammate Tony Evans Jr: 'I think about him a lot'

* Wyoming's staff sticks with Texas QB despite two ACL tears

* Wyoming's Connor Shay vying for starting linebacker spot

* Sam Scott has found a permanent home in Pokes' backfield