Wyoming Inks 20 Freshmen in 2026 Recruiting Class

LARAMIE -- College football coaches are still not permitted to discuss prospective high school players before they sign on the dotted line. That's an NCAA rule.

It might be one of the only ones remaining.

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Jay Sawvel certainly thinks so.

"We can give people Aston Martins and additional years, but we can't talk about recruits," Wyoming's second-year head coach said back in early October. "I have no idea what the hell we're even talking about."

That's not a concern now. The hay, as they say, is in the barn.

Wyoming inked 20 incoming freshmen -- 10 on both sides of the ball -- Wednesday on early signing day, including coveted quarterback in Taylor Hasselbeck, the son of former NFL signal caller Tim Hasselbeck. Same can be said for a pair of speedy wideouts from Texas, Jordan Styles and Jarell Gary Jr. That duo averages roughly 200 pounds each. Size and strength was the theme of this class, according to UW's Director of Player Personnel Austin Maus.

Sawvel and Co. also landed a pair of in-state products, defensive end Beck Haswell of Sheridan and Cheyenne Central offensive lineman Jackson Garrett.

"I think it augments the class that we signed last year very well, which we obviously have a high regard for," Sawvel said. "The biggest thing about this class is that there's a physicality to all the positions -- and that's much needed right now. I'm talking even on the perimeter."

Nine true freshmen -- Samuel Harris, Cade Brook, Steven Perez, Parker Moore, Tyson Deen, Kyle Frendt, Ke'Lyn Washom, Mason Drube and Deion DeBlanc -- already played a role last fall.

According to 247sports.com, Wyoming features the fifth-best recruiting class in the new-look Mountain West with 17 three-star prospects. Tight end Colin Ford (Naperville, Ill.) and cornerback Therman "Boogie" Williams (Corona, Calif.) are the two highest-rated rookies, per the recruiting website.

247 rankings in order: UNLV, Northern Illinois, UTEP, New Mexico, Wyoming, Nevada, Hawaii, San Jose State and Air Force.

QB - Taylor Hasselback - 6'2", 185 - Nashville, Tenn.

OL - Pierce Decker - 6'7", 250 - Fort Collins, Colo.

OL - Jonathan Pearcy - 6'4", 300 - Liberty, MO

OL - Jackson Garrett - 6'5", 285 - Cheyenne, Wyo.

TE - Colin Ford - 6'5", 220 - Naperville, Ill.

TE - Ish Muhammad - 6'3", 210 - Dallas, Texas

WR - Jordan Styles - 6'0", 210 - The Woodlands, Texas

WR - Jarell Gary - 5'11", 195 - Austin, Texas

DT - MacGregor Byers - 6'5", 260 - Houston, Texas

DT - Xavier Jackson - 6'3", 245 - O'Fallon, MO

DT - Tanielu Maafala-Barbasa - 6'2", 242 - Las Vegas, Nev.

DE - Beck Haswell - 6'3", 210 - Sheridan, Wyo.

LB - Mason Wright - 6'3", 210 - Kansas City, MO.

LB - Dante Bruley - 6'1", 230 - Chandler, Ariz.

LB - Bo Gable - 6', 200 - Gering, Neb.

DB - Kendall Griffin - 6'1", 170 - Chicago, Ill.

DB - Therman "Boogie" Williams - 5'11", 175 - Corona, Calif.

OL - Grant Lott - 6'3", 265 - St. Peters, MO.

RB - Ryken Banks - 6'1", 190 - Parker, Colo.

DB - Kanye Anderson - 6'1", 180 - Lewisville, Texas

(*Click on the names above to view 247sports.com profiles)

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* Running Back Terron Kellman Again Looking for New Home

* Wyoming's Leading Receiver Entering NCAA Transfer Portal

* Wyoming's Offense Blanked in 27-7 Loss at Hawaii

* Turning Point, Unsung Hero and What's Next for UW Football

* FINAL LIVE FILE: Hawaii 27, Wyoming 7

* Drube Welcomes Challenge, Pressure of QB Gig at Wyoming

2026 Football Signing Periods

The early signing period for college football teams started on Wednesday, Dec. 3 and will run through Friday, Dec. 5.

The transfer Portal opens on Jan. 2 and the regular signing period opens on Feb 4.

2026 Wyoming Football Early Signing Class Select Highlights

• 18 three-star rated high school recruits by both 247Sports.com and Rivals.

• The Cowboys signed the top two recruits in the State of Wyoming, as the two ranked both as three-star recruits by 247Sports.com.

• The Cowboys added four players from the State of Missouri with three of them ranking in the top-30 in the Show Me State.

• The Cowboys signed the son of a former Cowboy in Dante Bruley, who's father John played for the Brown and Gold from 1990-1993. UW also signed a brother of a current player, as Beck Haswell from Sheridan will join his brother Alex in Laramie.

• The Pokes added a quarterback from the State of Tennessee in Taylor Hasselbeck. His father Tim played in the NFL and is currently an analyst for ESPN.

• Four signees will enroll in January for the Brown and Gold.

Position Breakdown

• This year's position breakdown sees 10 recruits on defense and 10 on offense. The defensive recruiting group is made up of 3 defensive backs, 3 linebackers and 4 defensive linemen. Offensively, UW has 4 offensive linemen, 2 wide receivers, 1 running back, 2 tight ends, and 1 quarterback.

State-by-State Breakdown

• Wyoming's 2026 early recruiting class includes players from 10 different states.

• The Cowboys' 2026 December recruiting class breaks down as follows: Wyoming (2), Texas (5), Colorado (2), Missouri (4), Illinois (2), Arizona (1), California (1), Nebraska (1) Nevada (1), Tennessee (1).

More Information on the 2026 Wyoming Football Signing Class

• Additional information on the 2026 recruiting class is available on the Wyoming Signing Day Central page at GoWyo.com and on Twitter @wyo_football.

University of Wyoming’s Top 50 Football Players

During the summer of 2021, 7220Sports.com counted down the Top 50 football players in University of Wyoming history, presented by Premier Bone & Joint Centers, Worthy of Wyoming.

The rules are simple: What was the player's impact while in Laramie? That means NFL stats, draft status or any other accolade earned outside of UW is irrelevant when it comes to this list.

This isn't a one-man job. This task called for a panel of experts. Joining 7220's Cody Tucker are Robert Gagliardi, Jared Newland, Ryan Thorburn, and Kevin McKinney.

We all compiled our own list of 50 and let computer averages do the work. Think BCS -- only we hope this catalog is fairer.

Don't agree with a selection? Feel free to sound off on our Twitter: @7220sports - #Top50UWFB

Gallery Credit: 7220Sports.com

- University of Wyoming’s Top 50 Football Players