Five Things I’m Watching During Wyoming’s Spring Football Slate

LARAMIE -- Want to make Jay Sawvel's blood boil?

All it take is mentioning these three number: 16.

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That's how many points per game his offense managed to rack up last fall, the 129th worst production out of 134 FBS programs. Even that number is inflated. Wyoming's defense and special teams units both found the end zone in a 35-28 home victory over San Jose State last October.

An at-times unwatchable offensive display has mostly led to another unwanted number, too: 7. That's the amount of victories Sawvel has racked up during his first two years as the head coach in Laramie.

The pressure is on.

And to add to it, the Cowboys open the season right down the road in Fort Collins where they will take on Border War rival Colorado State. Before we get too far ahead of ourselves, though, Wyoming first has 15 practices scheduled, culminating in the annual spring game April 25 inside War Memorial Stadium.

It all kicks off this Tuesday in Laramie. Here's what I'll be keeping tabs on:

ALL EYES ON THE QB:

There's no sugarcoating it: Wyoming's quarterback play over the previous two seasons has been putrid. Historically bad. Evan Svoboda was the least-efficient signal caller in college football in 2024. Kaden Anderson wasn't far off from that same distinction last fall. Those two combined to throw just 23 touchdowns and 22 interceptions. Where the real separator comes in is in the rushing department. Svoboda rolled up 237 yards and five touchdowns on the ground. Anderson? Minus-39. The redshirt sophomore, who is now at Tarleton State, had a long of nine. That came in the opener at Akron. Tyler Hughes is the frontrunner for the starting gig after spending the previous four seasons at William and Mary, though Sawvel has been adamant that this is an open competition. Mason Drube and Landon Sims will have a chance to state their case. Hughes patiently waited his turn, finally getting the call in 2025. He responded by becoming the first QB in program history to throw for more than 2,300 yards and rush for 650 more. He accounted for 31 touchdowns, 20 of which came through the air. More importantly, on 308 drop backs, he was picked off only three times. Can the senior turn the tide for the Cowpokes in '26?

SCHEME 'EM UP:

Sawvel mentioned numerous times this offseason that he wants to see more creativity on offense, especially in the running game. Wyoming, he added, hasn't featured a 1,000-yard rusher since 2022 when Titus Swen amassed 1,039. Enter Christian Taylor. The Cowboys' new offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach spent the previous two seasons breaking down NFL schemes as a defensive assistant with the Buffalo Bills. By trade, though, he is a playcaller. He said he'll be predictably unpredictable, formations be damned. He will also have a familiar face under center. He recruited Hughes to William and Mary back in 2022. Taylor's philosophy is a simple one: Get the ball in the hands of playmakers. It will be interesting over the next 15 practices to see what changes have been made.

OFFENSIVE WEAPONRY:

We all know about running back Samuel "Tote" Harris and his breakout freshman season. He led all rushers with 558 yards on 100 carries. Deion DeBlanc showed flashes out of the slot and at returner. He snagged 10 passes for 54 yards and a score. The three-star recruit out of Houston is probably best remembered for his 73-yard punt return for a touchdown in a home win over San Jose State. Jackson Holman, Eric Richardson and Charlie Coenen combined for 28 grabs and 350 receiving yards. The latter two caught touchdown passes, too. Who else will step up this fall? Wyoming reeled in just one wideout from the portal, Justin Popovich, who wrapped up last season at Lock Haven with 55 receptions for 686 yards and six scores. Sawvel said redshirt freshman Ke'Lyn Washom made life miserable for the defense on the scout team last season. He is also hopeful Bricen Brantley can have his coming-out party in '26. Having an accurate passer under center -- who also poses a threat with his legs -- should also help. Other players to keep an eye on: running back Markell Holman, tight ends Jake Wilson and Kyle Frendt and receivers Jayden Williams and PJ Jackson.

LIVING ON THE EDGE:

I keep hearing the name Jack Dunkley. Each time, the word "freak" follows. The 6-foot-4, 250-pound defensive end comes to Wyoming from Duquesne, where he registered 14.5 sacks and 24 tackles for loss in just 28 games. He also added five forced fumbles to his already-impressive résumé. The Cowboys added two other transfers at the position this offseason, inking Dartmouth's Thaddeus Gianaris (6'2", 240) and Donnie Wingate (6'3", 250), formerly of Southern Illinois. That trio joins a young, inexperienced group of pass rushers that includes Esaia Bogar, Eltoum Murgus, Jason Handy, Kevin Sjogren, Jordan Turnbull and Cade Brook. Those names were responsible for just 19 tackles and a sack in 2025. Bogar tallied the QB takedown and 13 of those stops. Wyoming's defensive ends accounted for only 5.5 sacks a season ago. Tyce Westland and Chisom Ifeanyi accounted for two each.

KICKER WANTED?:

Erik Sandvik wasn't exactly seasoned heading into the 2025 season. In fact, the former soccer player attempted just two kicks during his high school career in Steamboat Springs, Colo., before sitting for a year and watching John Hoyland, arguably the best kicker in program history. How did he land this opportunity in Laramie? That came about after going 10-for-10 at a summer camp. Last fall, when the bullets were flying for real, the redshirt freshman was a perfect 24-of-24 when it came to extra-point attempts. That's the good news. The bad? He was just 6-for-11 on field-goal tries, missing on four of his last five. Some, badly. Sandvik was 2-of-2 inside 30 yards. He finished 2-of-4 inside 40. He made two from further away on three attempts, with a season long of 41. He was 0-for-2 from 50-plus. Sawvel said this is a very important spring for Sandvik and all of his specialists.

- University of Wyoming’s Top 50 Football Players