Rex Johnsen To Get First Crack at Landing Starting Tackle Spot

LARAMIE -- Rex Johnsen has never snapped a ball during his football career.

That almost changed late last September. On a critical fourth down late in regulation, no less.

Get our free mobile app

With starting center Nofoafia Tulafono sprawled out on the turf, writhing in pain, Johnsen was summoned to the home sideline. The back-up right guard, who conveniently doesn't wear gloves in the first place, found himself attempting to perfect the QB-center exchange on the fly.

"We were about to see Rex at center," Wyoming's offensive line coach Joe Tripodi joked.

"I was ready for it," the 6-foot-5, near 310-pound Iowa native said in early October, flashing a grin, followed by a slight shoulder shrug.

That pressure-packed play never came.

Jay Sawvel, to the chagrin of the 23,000-plus inside War Memorial Stadium, instead decided to go the conservative route with the ball resting at Air Force's 39-yard line. Wyoming had a five-point advantage. Just over two minutes remained on the game clock.

Those three yards to go seemed daunting, especially with a potential trio of new pieces on the makeshift front five -- transfer Alex Conn and redshirt freshman Quinn Grovesteen-Matchey -- including Johnsen, the rookie facilitator in the middle.

The head coach reverted back to his roots, relying on his defense to bring home his first-career victory.

It worked.

The Falcons were tagged with a personal foul on the ensuing punt attempt, giving the Cowboys a free 15 yards and a fresh set of downs. A rare leaping-over-the-shield penalty was the call. Levi Brown was the culprit.

Three snaps later, Evan Svoboda was weaving through the visiting defense, coasting into the Tetons after a 17-yard scoring jaunt that eventually sealed the first win of the season.

Johnsen, who filled in for an injured Jack Walsh that night in Laramie, helped lead Wyoming to a 173-yard performance on the ground against one of the more stingy defenses in the country. Svoboda wasn't sacked a single time.

The average yards per play hovered around six. The third-down conversion rate was 50% and the Cowboys were 2-of-2 on fourth down, both coming on short-yardage situations.

Johnsen and Co. also scored on four straight second-half possessions.

"It was awesome," the junior said bluntly. "I was glad the coaches had the trust in me to put me out there. I just felt like I wanted to roll with my shot, take it and just do as good as I can to prove that I belong out there and should continue to keep playing."

MORE UW FOOTBALL NEWS VIA 7220SPORTS:

* Who will be Wyoming's featured back this fall?

* Linebacker Gary Rutherford vying for playing time in '25

* Wyoming's Sabastian Harsh Hitting Open Market in Final Season

* Wyoming Football: News and notes from offseason workout

* Who will replace placekicker John Hoyland at Wyoming?

* COLUMN: Should Wyoming Retire Josh Allen's No. 17?

* Josh Allen Highlights UW Athletics '25 Hall of Fame Class

* Jay Sawvel on Freshman RB: 'I'm a Big Patrick Broadway Fan'

* Wyoming Football Announces Full 2025 Schedule

* Wyoming's football staff shifting focus to self-evaluation

* No concern in Wyoming's receiver room heading into spring

* Wyoming overhauling defense with 'winnable players'

* Jay Sawvel: 'We will never vote for captains again'

* Are Wyoming players being tampered with? You bet, says Sawvel

Sawvel openly questioned whether or not Johnsen was even "into football" at this time a year ago. Getting pressed into duty, he added, changed things.

A "switch flipped."

"He started to have a better mindset, demeanor and his day to day was better," Sawvel said of the former three-star recruit, who was courted by the likes of Iowa State, Nebraska and North Dakota State after a standout prep career at Logan-Magnolia High School. "... Right now, our goal offensively, is to have Caden Barnett play inside, which would give Rex a really good opportunity to be one of the starting tackles. That's where he's going to start off at in the spring."

Walsh is also vacating the guard spot and sliding over to center, Sawvel announced this winter.

Johnsen found out he would be in the starting lineup two days prior to that 31-19 win over Air Force. Nerves weren't a factor, he claims. He got those out of the way early in 2023, appearing in seven games.

Confidence never wavered. He says he knows the playbook inside and out.

It was simply time to pop pads.

"I've been working my ass off during practice and they see something in me," Johnsen said of the staff. "I just have to go out on the field and perform like we know I can."

Just don't expect him to slide on a pair of gloves anytime soon, despite the crooked and bruised pinky fingers on each hand.

He's old school like that.

"Everyone always thinks I'm a psycho for not wearing the gloves," he joked, holding his hands out in front of him. "I just tape my fingers up a little bit. I've got some messed up fingers, but I'll keep riding with it."

Spring football practice in Laramie is scheduled to begin Tuesday, March 25. The annual Brown and Gold Spring game is slated for Saturday, April 26.

- University of Wyoming’s Top 50 Football Players