Tuck’s Take: Luxury of Depth Has Finally Crept Into DB Room

LARAMIE -- Eighteen.

That's the number of interceptions credited to Wyoming cornerbacks since Benny Boyd took over that position group before the COVID-19-shortened 2020 season. Eight of those belong to nickelbacks, including six from Wrook Brown over the last two seasons.

He's now at the University of Houston.

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The other two belonged to Keyon Blankenbaker and Keonte Glinton. That duo capped their careers at Texas Tech and New Mexico State, respectively.

Tyrecus Davis snagged a pair. He's now a Colorado Buffalo. Cam Stone also picked off two passes. He finished at Hawaii. Despite playing just six games during the heat of the pandemic, CJ Coldon hauled in a couple. He ended up at Oklahoma.

Seeing a pattern?

If you're keeping track at home, those six above accounted for 15 turnovers through the air -- then bolted.

The remaining three came courtesy of Jakorey Hawkins (2) and Deron Harrell (1), a pair of Power-4 castoff's who actually transferred to Laramie.

If you were wondering why Boyd emphatically pleaded with his new crop of corners to "change the narrative" during the team's first practice of the fall, here's just a sample size.

"They're blaming you," he shouted. "Fix it."

Easier said than done.

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Not only have a majority of the serviceable players hit the dusty trail --the free-agent market for corners is a lucrative one -- there has also been a whole lot of swings and misses on the recruiting trail.

Remember Xavier Carter? Zaire Jackson? Josh Dixon? Chauncey Carter? Charles Williams?

Don't lie.

Those five -- and there's more -- were part of five of the last six classes. They combined to play zero defensive snaps during their tenures on the high plains.

Keany Parks, who came to Wyoming as a three-star running back, made the transition to the island before the 2023 campaign. He's also a Houston Cougar. Kolbey Taylor was supposed to be the next big name at the position. After a disappointing -- to say the least -- '23 season, he landed at Vanderbilt.

Jay Sawvel wasn't surprised to hear that Boyd was boisterous right out of the gate. He's taking it personally, he added.

The second-year head coach is, too.

This secondary allowed quarterbacks to throw for 2,627 yards and 16 touchdowns last fall while completing 61.7% of their passes. That's an average of 218.9 yards per game. That equates to 12.5 yards per catch.

Keep in mind, the schedule also included Air Force and New Mexico, two programs that are known for their ground game. The Falcons and Lobos combined to throw for just 279 yards and a score, both ending in Wyoming victories.

Visiting Idaho, with a third-string signal caller under center, completed only a dozen passes for 101 yards. The Vandals' damage in that still stunning 17-13 upset came via the turnover and a pair of trips to the end zone on fourth-down conversions.

Those instances will skew some stats.

So will these.

BYU quarterback Jake Retzlaff and the BYU passing attack amassed 318 yards and three touchdown tosses. The following Saturday at North Texas, Chandler Morris tacked on the exact same amount of yards and hit two receivers on long scoring strikes.

The Cowboys were also without senior safeties Isaac White and Wyett Ekeler for the majority of those contests.

"Realistically, we didn't play that good at corner in '23, we just found enough ways to hide it," Sawvel said, referencing a year that saw that group give up 145 more yards and 18 scores. "We were in a position where other people played well enough around (the corners). We had two really healthy safeties all year long and that helped that out. Well, a year ago, we didn't have two healthy safeties, so some things get magnified."

This unit has had little to no depth over the last handful of seasons.

Davis, Parks and Brown rarely left the field last fall. When they did, the drop-off was drastic. Malique Singleton struggled mightily in a home loss to San Diego State, giving up a pair of back-breaking long balls. Ian Bell dealt with a lingering foot injury throughout. Tyrese Boss suffered a tendon injury in his hand that kept him out of the lineup until the season finale.

The ultimate motivator, though, simply hasn't been available.

"Exactly," Boyd said, referring to the bench and reduced playing time. "That was frustrating. It got to the point against BYU that if we were in one-high, they were targeting a specific guy, who they got often. To not have an answer for that was disheartening. It was frustrating."

He's talking about Parks, who allowed Chase Roberts to haul in six passes for 129 yards. That's an eye-popping average of 21.5 yards per grab.

Will these troubles on the backend persist? That remains to be seen.

After three weeks of practice, though, Boyd said maturity and pride have taken center stage. Health has also been a factor. So has competition.

"We legit have five or six guys back there now," he added. "I mean, to have the depth to not only stay healthy, but to push each other, it's a great luxury. So, if you don't do what you need to do, your playing time is going to reduce. We have not had that luxury in the years that I have been here, so it's really exciting.

"... They are pushing and pulling one another along."

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Others have taken notice.

Deion DeBlanc may be a true freshman, but he played at one of the best programs in not only Texas, but the nation, at Northshore High School in the Greater Houston Area. His teammate Devin Sanchez, for example, was a five-star recruit who last winter signed with Ohio State.

DeBlanc, who also received offers from the likes of Arizona State, Texas Tech, Oregon and many others, faced him on a daily basis last season.

"I feel like this DB room is going to be way better," the rookie wideout said. "We have DB's that can tackle and we have DB's that can lock up receivers ... Anything you need, I feel like we have it this year."

He's not alone.

"Tyrese Boss and Ian Bell, they've been really good," quarterback Landon Sims added. "You can see the competition between the receivers and DB's. There's always smack talk out there. We also got Markie Grant back today, so that's another body. He talks a little bit, too. It's all fun and the competition is great. I love it."

If the season started today, Sawvel said talent and size would likely win out. That likely means Boss, Bell and Mercer transfer Dainsus Miller. BJ Inmon has been in the mix. So has true freshman Tyson Deen, who Sawvel said will not redshirt this season.

While all of the misfortunes can't be placed squarely on the corners -- a lack of pass rush certainly hasn't helped matters in recent years -- this group has to be better. Experience still isn't necessarily on their side, but there are finally additional options.

Another change is who these guys go up against on the practice fields. Wyoming hasn't exactly been a bastion for elite receivers of late. That too could be a thing of the past if expectations are finally met this fall.

Iron sharpening iron.

"I believe in my teammates," Boss said. "My teammates are always going to do their job. So, I just need to do mine."

It's just that simple, right?

- University of Wyoming’s Top 50 Football Players