Pokes Practice Report: Dreaded Mid-Camp Lull? No Chance

LARAMIE -- "No."

"Nope. Nope. Nope."

That was Jay Sawvel's response when asked if his team has gone through that dreaded mid-camp lull that requires the head coach to emphatically blow the whistle before summoning everyone to midfield and going ballistic.

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Admittedly, he did get after the guys after Sunday's practice, but that was pre-planned.

"More than anything, I tried to set a little tone for today," Sawvel said Monday, followed by a grin. "I didn't think yesterday was that bad -- It really wasn't -- but I wanted to make sure that other people understood that there was a level of urgency and sense of urgency that we wanted today. I think we got that."

Full preparation for Akron will begin Wednesday. That means depth chart decisions are on the horizon.

Sawvel once again pointed to a vacant whiteboard next to the podium in reference to where the starting lineup stands today.

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What do we know?

Kaden Anderson, to the surprise of absolutely no one, will climb under center Aug. 28 inside InfoCision Stadium. Chris Durr Jr. and Jaylan Sargent will also be in the mix. So will the three interior offensive linemen -- Wes King (from left to right), Jack Walsh and Caden Barnett. John Michael Gyllenborg will no doubt be tight end No. 1.

Landon Sims, according to offensive coordinator Jay Johnson, will serve as Anderson's back-up. Gage Brook lands third-string duties. Mason Drube, the top recruit in the state out of Gillette, if all goes to plan, will not see the field this fall.

Defense, well, that's another story.

Tyce Westland will start on the edge. Ben Florentine, Jayden Williams and Lucas Samsula will rotate in the middle. Esaia Bogar was also in the fold, but recently suffered a metacarpal fracture in his right hand that will require surgery. Will he be ready for the Zips? Time will tell.

The back end of the defense, including the linebackers, is still a mystery. What this staff does know is depth will finally be a strength unlike last year when the "rent came due" at a number of positions, mainly safety, where Wyett Ekeler and Isaac White rarely left the field.

"There's going to be a lot of meetings for us, as coaches, tomorrow," Sawvel added. "Not only among ourselves, but also some communication with players. There's going to be some of it that we kind of set out for tomorrow, and there's going to be some of it that we won't set out until after Friday. You know, once we go through another few days of practice."

The grind, Sawvel continued, will go on throughout the rest of the week before scaling back the physicality ahead of the season opener. On Monday, the team drilled for two-plus hours in full pads, music blaring in the background, focusing on the inside-run game.

Communication was emphasized.

Sawvel also has a loud and clear message for those who do get the starting nod: Don't get too comfortable.

"Where you might be right now in Game 1 could be a completely different place by the time you get to Game 4 or 5," he added. "Hopefully not by injury, but sometimes it's just by a guy continuing to improve and continuing to get better."

Here's some other tidbits from Sawvel's Monday press conference in Laramie:

* There's some good news on the injury front. Wide receivers Jackson Holman (hamstring), Jaylan Bean (toe/ shoulder) and Tyler Nystrom (concussion) are all a full-go in practice. There's also some bumps and bruises that have accumulated this fall. Linebacker Brayden Johnson (ankle) should return to the lineup Wednesday, per Sawvel. Bogar, as you read above, is looking at a time table of "8-to-10 days." His procedure will take place Tuesday, which gives him a nine-day window if he hopes to be ready for Akron. He will play in a cast, he said. Offensive linemen Quinn Grovesteen-Matchey could also be sidelined for a few weeks, still dealing with a knee contusion he suffered while engaged with linebacker Gary Rutherford. The latter, who also suffered a knee sprain on that play, according to the coach, should be ready for opening day.

* Jake Wilson could miss a few weeks after he had a golf-ball size cyst removed from his knee. Though the absence isn't ideal, Sawvel said the lump is benign, which is obviously the best case scenario. "It's just now the fact that you had to take something that's like that out of a part of the body. It's the healing of the body," Sawvel said, referring to the redshirt freshman tight end. "So, whatever that time frame will be, I mean, he's probably looking at two to three more weeks. It's probably in that type of range, just in terms of the incision to heal, the swelling to be gone and the movement to come back."

* A tackle-by-committee could be coming this fall. With no clear cut winner in the battle for either spot -- not yet, anyway -- this staff is fully prepared to enter the season, playing multiple people. That means Nate Geiger, Jake Davies, Giovanni Panozzo and Rex Johnsen could alternate. Is that a good problem to have? Johnson thinks so. "I think, as we continue to grow, we'll see how that evolves," Wyoming's offensive coordinator said on Monday. "I kind of see all those guys participating in helping us." Stay tuned to 7220sports.com for more on this ongoing battle.

* The quest to get to "8 or 9 deep" on that offensive line is in full swing. Sawvel and Co. like what they see so far from youngsters like Braylon Jenkins, Luke Sandy and Grovesteen-Matchey, among others. Position coach Joe Tripodi has also been impressed with true freshman Johnathan Bush. The 6-foot-2, 315-pound rookie from Whitehouse, Texas -- home of Patrick Mahomes -- is currently receiving reps at center.

* Sawvel and Johnson continue to rave about the QB room, and both said they have all the confidence in the world if Sims is forced into action. Lip service? Sure doesn't seem like it. The duo also mentioned Gage Brook and the offseason he has put together. "I think that room is the best that room has been since I've been here," Sawvel added. "When you watch one set to the next set to the next set, a new quarterback going in and how that team operates, balls are being completed, balls are being thrown where they need to be thrown. I mean, that has been really encouraging. There's been a lot of development there, but that's a good room and they pull together." Look for a future story about Sims on 7220sports.com.

* Rookie pass rusher Cade Brook has entered the chat as possibly a player who could appear in four games this fall and still maintain his redshirt status, joining linebackers Steven Perez and Parker Moore, along with cornerback Tyson Dean and tight end Kyle Frendt. Read all about the Colorado product right HERE.

* We took a look back Monday at the key offensive statistics from the 2024 season. Some good, a whole lot of bad. Might want to bookmark that one to see where the Pokes stand at season's end. Read that one right HERE.

* Wyoming held an open scrimmage last Thursday inside War Memorial Stadium. Here are some takeaways from that one right HERE.

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