Welcome to Wyoming Football: Axel Ramazani
LARAMIE -- Wyoming has welcomed nearly 50 new faces this offseason.
Transfer portal era, am I right?
Jay Sawvel knew a rebuild on defense was in order after losing both starting linebackers and safeties, along with leaders like Jordan Bertagnole and DeVonne Harris. The departures of Wrook Brown, Sabastian Harsh and Keany Parks only magnified things.
The second-year head coach got busy, inking a dozen transfers on that side of the ball on February's traditional signing day and adding three more since the annual spring game.
On offense, the damage was limited.
Yes, running back Harrison Waylee is now at Virginia. Young wideout Justin Stevenson is a Utah Ute now, too. But if you ask Sawvel, he kept the players he wanted on offense, beginning with quarterback Kaden Anderson.
Three of the Cowboys' top linemen -- Jack Walsh, Caden Barnett and Wes King -- are also back. So is tight end John Michael Gyllenborg, wide receivers Chris Durr Jr. and Jaylen Sargent, along with leading rusher Sam Scott.
So, without further ado, let's spent the summer meeting the new players that litter this 2025 roster:
NAME | Axel Ramazani
YEAR | Freshman
HT/WT | 6' 2", 220
HOMETOWN | Des Moines, Iowa
POSITION | Defensive end
JERSEY NUMBER | 44
PREVIOUS SCHOOL | Urbandale
YEARS OF ELIGIBILITY | Four
NOTABLE | The University of Cincinnati wanted Axel Ramazani. In fact, the standout edge rusher even took a visit to campus. Still, he kept his word and signed with the Cowboys, committing in August and inking on the dotted line last December. The Des Moines product also held offers from Washington State, North Dakota State and a whole host of other FCS programs. Ramazani, who is cousins with former UW running back Harrison Waylee, earned All-State status during his final season at Urbandale High School, tallying 49 tackles, 9.5 of which came behind the line of scrimmage. He also finished with 1.5 sacks. He was tabbed the No. 13 overall prospect in the state of Iowa, per 247sports.com. That recruiting site, along with On3.com, also gave him a three-star rating. As a junior, Ramazani led the state in sacks with eight. He also capped the year with 21 tackles for loss. Though Waylee entered the NCAA Transfer Portal last March and is now at the University of Virginia, Ramazani told 7220sports.com in the spring he was here to stay. Though he enrolled early and was on the campus, Ramazani did not compete in spring ball as he recovered from a hip injury.
QUOTABLE | "He's his own guy. As far as the talent, he's one of the most talented guys in the class. He's a guy that right now, I mean, he's probably mid-220's, but he's physical, he's athletic, he's quick. He has great quickness off the line and a great first step. He's another guy who has a really, really high motor," -- Former UW Director of Player Personnel Kirby O'Meara said, referring to Ramazani, last December on the initial signing day.
WELCOME TO WYOMING FOOTBALL SERIES:
* BJ Inmon
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University of Wyoming’s Top 50 Football Players
Gallery Credit: 7220Sports.com
- University of Wyoming’s Top 50 Football Players
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