Sawvel on Newest Edge Rusher: ‘He’s a Psychopath’

LARAMIE -- One of the new guys immediately broke a cardinal rule.

On an inside run play Tuesday inside War Memorial Stadium, running back Samuel Harris took the hand off and patiently made his way toward the line of scrimmage. The sophomore they call "Tote" didn't have a chance to show off his trademark speed.

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He was unceremoniously dumped the second he entered the masses.

That tackle came courtesy of Thaddeus Gianaris, a graduate transfer from Dartmouth.

It wasn't an audible rear-end chewing, but Jay Sawvel joked that he did threaten to toss the 6-foot-2, 244-pound defensive end out of practice if that ever happens again.

"He's a psychopath," Wyoming's head coach said with a smile.

Why the public reprimand? History.

Cowboy fans won't soon forget when Harrison Waylee suffered a knee injury just before the start of the 2024 regular season. That was caused by friendly fire. Waylee was limited to just four games that fall.

Sawvel vowed that day to never let a starting tailback take another unnecessary hit in practice.

Harris suffered an MCL injury in Wyoming's home finale last November. He was wrapped up by a Nevada defender near the perimeter and his leg twisted in the turf. Sawvel said he was in and out of surgery in 30 minutes and if there was a regular-season game on this breezy day in Laramie, No. 26 would be in the lineup.

"We're going to manage him a little bit in the spring because he's in a really good spot coming off the surgery and he's had a really good off season," Sawvel added.

Harris led the team with 558 rushing yards on 100 attempts. The Texas product averaged 5.6 yards per carry.

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Sawvel raved about the vibe surrounding his "low-maintenance" squad in the Cowboys' first official practice of the spring slate. What he's been seeing in the weight room all winter, he added, has already translated to the field. Edge rushers, a group the university spent plenty of finances on this offseason, also stood out.

Yes, even Gianaris.

The Park Ridge, Ill., native, who has a degree in Astronomy, capped his final year in New Hampshire with 55 tackles, including nine for loss. He also tallied five sacks and was credited with eight quarterback hits. His best outing came last November against Ivy League rival Princeton. Gianaris finished his afternoon with 11 tackles and a sack.

"The one thing that Thaddeus has is, you know, his motor is crazy good," Sawvel said. "Obviously, he was a first team all-conference player where he was before. Look, that guy's wired really well -- and I appreciate that.

"I had to tell him, this isn't part of the deal right now to take down a back in no pads right now."

EXTRA POINTS:

- Twenty-six new faces were on the field Tuesday for the Pokes' first official workout, including 20 incoming transfers. Six true freshmen -- Mason Wright, Jayden Williams, Therman "Boogie" Williams, Grant Lott, Kendall Griffin and Tanielu Maafala-Barbasa -- are early enrollees and are taking part in spring ball. Twenty more rookies will arrive on campus in June.

-- Rules? What rules? Sawvel was asked how many players are on his current roster with an NCAA-mandated cut to 105 supposedly on the horizon? That number will be 112 when the freshman class arrives this summer. When will he need to make some tough decisions? Great question. Even he doesn't know if that rule will go into effect this season.

-- Wyoming is looking for three interior linemen to slide into starting roles on this offense. Rex Johnsen mans the left-tackle spot. Braylon Jenkins bookends the front five. Jason Maciejczak, a 314-pound transfer from Nebraska, got the first crack at snapping duties on Tuesday after playing guard during his stint in Lincoln. The results were inconsistent, at best, with many hitting the turf or landing near the signal caller's feet. That will be something to keep an eye on this spring.

-- There are plenty of new faces and new jersey numbers this season. Get caught up on that right HERE.

-- Tyler Hughes, Wyoming's newest QB, showed off his wheels during the 20-period workout. The Georgia product was also sharp in the passing game. Read more about the graduate transfer from William and Mary right HERE.

-- Jake Wilson missed the entire 2025 campaign with a knee ailment. No, it wasn't a ligament or anything structural, instead it was a freak situation that quickly escalated from lingering pain to three separate operations. Read all about the redshirt freshman tight end right HERE.

-- Sawvel said this will be a very important spring for placekicker Erik Sandvik. Same can be said for the entire kicking operation, from snapper to holder. The redshirt sophomore capped his first year as a starter, connecting on just 6-of-11 attempts. He missed five of his last six late in the season. Read all about the kickers and punters right HERE.

-- Want to impress your coworkers and friends with some Jeopardy-like stats? Look no further. Here is a recap of the 2025 season: the good, the bad and the ugly. Read it right HERE.

- University of Wyoming’s Top 50 Football Players