Pokes Practice Report: Corners’ Task is to ‘Change The Narrative’

LARAMIE -- Benny Boyd's booming voice commanded attention.

He certainly got that from his cornerback unit on Monday afternoon, the first official day of fall practice.

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"Change the (expletive) narrative," the sixth-year coach shouted over blaring music on the North 40 practice fields in Laramie. "They're blaming you."

He's taking it personal, head coach Jay Sawvel said from behind the podium post-practice.

Here's why.

Wyoming's battered and bruised secondary allowed nearly 219 yards through the air a game during the 2024 season. That was a grand total of 2,627 yards, 12.45 per completion. Opponents also threw for 16 touchdowns.

While the ranking isn't all that low -- 68th out of a then-133 FBS teams -- you always have to consider the game against Air Force. New Mexico wasn't exactly explosive in the passing game, either.

BYU and North Texas, on back-to-back Saturdays, torched the Cowboys for the exact same number of yards -- 318. Jake Retzlaff tossed three touchdowns. Chandler Morris added two, respectively.

To the surprise of no one, both were blowout losses.

Those two programs took full advantage of a skeleton crew on the opposite side of the line of scrimmage. Wyoming's senior safeties Wyett Ekeler and Isaac White were both battling a number of ailments, including a bum ankle for the latter. Nickel corner Wrook Brown was also suspended for the first half of the game in Denton.

Cornerback Ian Bell dealt with a nagging foot injury throughout 2024. Keany Parks, who along with Brown now calls the University of Houston home, was also new to the position.

It was a recipe for disaster.

"Some things get magnified," Sawvel said, referring to injuries and an ineffective pass rush. "I feel better about our talent, our size and our competitiveness at that position right now. More so than I have."

Bell batted down a couple of passes during Monday's two-plus hour workout. So did Markie Grant, Tyson Deen, BJ Inmon and Mercer transfer Dainsus Miller. David Leonard picked off a throw to the perimeter. Rookie quarterback Mason Drube was the victim.

Tyrese Boss, a 5-foot-11, 195-pound redshirt freshman, maybe had the biggest day, breaking up at least three connections, including spearing a much taller Jaylan Bean, who was unable to hold onto the ball. He limped off the field after the hit.

Sawvel immediately praised the California product. A "Come on, Bean," quickly followed.

"When I was here in '21, we had Azizi Hearn and CJ Coldon out there," the second-year head coach added, referring to two players that went on to have professional careers. "OK, those were really competitive, physical corners. You can see on the horizon where we could get back to that kind of level of corner in this program. I'm excited about that part."

Here are some other news and notes from Monday's first fall practice:

* Caleb Robinson and Dante Drake, two potential starters at the defensive tackle spot, have been lost for the season with a torn Achilles, according to Sawvel. Both happened during summer workouts while running "shuttles."

* Arizona transfer Jackson Holman left practice early Monday with an apparent hamstring issue. The Arizona transfer spent the remainder of the day calling in signals from the sideline. Rookie running back Patrick Broadway also suffered what Sawvel is calling a "lower hamstring" injury midway through the workout. Bean was having foot issues and briefly left the field after taking a hit from cornerback Boss.

* Deion Sanders Monday announced he battled and ultimately beat bladder cancer over the summer. The flamboyant head coach at Colorado, Wyoming's Week-4 opponent, said a tumor was removed and he will coach this season. Sawvel opened his press conference with a "get well" to Coach Prime. "All the best wishes from our program to coach Sanders," he said. "You hate when an icon of a sport has to battle something like that. So, all the best wishes from our program to him that he gets a full recovery and can go on doing what he is gifted to do."

* Sawvel also made sure to acknowledge Kimberly Choma, a former team equipment manager, who died late last month in a lawn mower accident near her hometown of Afton. "Within our program, just, continued thoughts and best wishes and prayers to the family of Kim Choma," said Sawvel, who attended the funeral in Star Valley. "That was a tragedy that hit the program during the summer. (They are an) incredible family, incredible strength, kind of uplifting anytime you're around them."

* NFL scouts -- one from Tampa Bay and another from Las Vegas -- were in attendance Monday in Laramie. Sawvel said they were looking specifically at tight end John Michael Gyllenborg, center Jack Walsh and right guard Caden Barnett, among others.

* Chisom Ifeanyi, a 6-foot-4, 250-pound edge rusher who transferred from Florida Atlantic, had a rough day in the hot Laramie sun. The graduate transfer went down to a knee on a number of occasions and staff kept a wet towel filled with ice on the back of his neck. Was it the altitude? "It's way different now when you go play in it, put a helmet on and go play football, somebody's leaning on you, and you have to lean on them. You have to also run, change direction and do all this other stuff," he said, adding that he wasn't sure what the culprit was on this day. "So, there's going to be a couple days where a couple of those guys are going to have to get that figured out."

* Wyoming quarterbacks threw a ton of passes on Monday afternoon, a far cry from the days of Craig Bohl. While playing physical, "Cowboy Tough" football is still on the docket, Sawvel said it was very much intentional to come out slinging. "Boise State, for giving the ball to Ashton Jeanty as many times as they did, what made them good was Maddux Madsen," he said. "He could throw the ball and they could move the ball by throwing it. That was a big piece of what made them good. So, you ultimately have to establish that because you have to be able to win, potentially, in a variety of different ways."

* While everyone is focused on the battle at the left tackle spot, there's something brewing on the bookend, too. Giovanni Panozzo, a 301-pound redshirt freshman, lined up on the right side today with the first team, ahead of Rex Johnsen. Jake Davies also took snaps over there after spending 12 games at the blindside last fall. Nate Geiger is also running with the first team on the left side. More to come on that.

* During the spring, Terron Kellman was the big man in the backfield. Not anymore. Damashja Harris, all 6-foot-2, 224-pound of him, really stood out on Monday. Same can be said for rookies Samuel "Tote" Harris and Jaden Lawrence. Max White, though listed at just 5-foot-10, is also tipping the scales at 207. Sam Scott, who missed the entirety of spring with a knee contusion, also looks -- and says -- he's fully healthy and ready to compete for the starting job. Also, more on that this week.

* Wyoming's Athletics Director Tom Burman spoke Monday for nearly 25 minutes about the House Settlement and what that means for this department. The school has "opted in" and will take part in revenue sharing, which will exceed $2million, he added. Look for a story about that this week.

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