Another Rookie Could Be Joining Wyoming’s ‘Four Game’ Crew

LARAMIE -- Another name might be joining the "four game" chat.

Jay Sawvel said rookie linebackers Steven Perez and Parker Moore could see playing time this fall while still preserving their redshirt status. Same can be said for true freshman cornerback Tyson Deen and tight end Kyle Frendt.

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Wyoming's second-year head coach said Monday defensive end Cade Brook is now also under consideration after a strong showing in camp.

This has nothing to do with injuries or anyone in the room not living up to expectations, either.

"Cade's that way because of just how he's playing. Like, he's playing good," Sawvel said with a smile. "You sit there and watch video -- I was with the offensive staff yesterday -- and (offensive coordinator) Jay Johnson even said, 'Who's that right there?' I was like, that's Cade Brook. He's like, 'Wow'

"I mean, he's going to be good. There's some depth there."

Players who have not redshirted can appear in four games and still maintain a year of eligibility, per NCAA rules.

Will Brook line up on the edge anytime soon? That remains to be seen.

It's not typical, Brian Hendricks said, for freshmen to earn playing time, especially early, on either line of scrimmage. Though the defensive ends coach raved about Brook's motor and said he's physically mature, it's still a big ask.

"You're going up against guys that have been in a college weight room for three, four or five years, so you can get heavily exposed there, opposed to, if you're a wide receiver," Hendricks added. "If you can run fast, well, shoot, you can run fast. You don't get exposed as much physically when it comes to hand-to-hand combat in the trenches.

Where the newbie does have a leg up, though, is in the football-IQ department. Technique and fundamentals, Hendricks continued, is still part of the learning curve at this level.

"He's not just doing it against threes and fours," he said, referring to going up against reserves. "I've kind of forced him to jump in with the older group and, next thing you know, he's making a play. What's helping him is he's smart. You don't have to correct him more than once. Once he learns the call, any call, he's never had many missed assignments."

Esaia Bogar, a transfer from Riverside City College (Calif.), Tuesday will undergo a procedure on his right hand. He suffered a metacarpal fracture in his right hand. He dislocated his right wrist four days into spring camp, too. Doctors, the junior added, said he could be back in the lineup in "eight or so" days.

The Cowboys open the season in 10 days, nine after his surgery.

Other newcomers Brayden Wilson (Weber State), Chisom Ifeanyi (Florida Atlantic) and Peter Eyabi (Riverside City College), along with the lone returning starter in the room, Tyce Westland, will no doubt fill up the two-deep. Tell Wade, Eltoum Murgus and Axel Ramazani are also vying for time.

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Special teams might be the most realistic first step for the 6-foot-3, 244-pound Brook, but the future could be bright.

"Watching him practice, yeah, he's definitely going to be something special as he develops and that sort of thing," Bogar said. "He looks really good: pass rushing and just everything he does. I like the way he approaches the game. You can tell, every day, he wants to get better -- even in film, too. He's always locked in."

Even the quarterbacks are taking notice.

"Cade Brook, for just a freshman, he has really good hands," Landon Sims added. "He's going to be really good one day."

Brook received heavy interest from Washington State and the Cowboys' Border War rival Colorado State out of Cherokee Trail High School in Aurora, Colo. A three-star prospect, according to 247sports, he initially committed to Eastern Washington after capping his prep career with 150 total tackles, including 10 tackles for loss. He tacked on the same number of sacks during his senior season, earning multiple all-conference and all-state honors in the process.

"He's certainly put himself in position," Hendricks said.

(Freshmen who have yet to appear in a game are not permitted to speak with the media unless prior authorization has been given by Sawvel.)

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