Pokes Position Breakdown: Wide Receivers

LARAMIE -- Wyoming football season is right around the corner.

Jay Sawvel and his team will hit the practice fields in Laramie July 28, kicking off training camp just 31 days ahead of the Cowboys Thursday night opener at Akron.

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Nearly 50 new players -- both freshmen and portal signings -- litter this new-look roster as this program attempts to put a disappointing 3-9 season even further in the rear-view mirror. Hopefully you're learning about all the new faces in our summer series Welcome to Wyoming Football.

According to ESPN, UW returns 56% of its production (104 combined starts) from last season, including its leading rusher (Sam Scott), receiver (Jaylen Sargent) and tight end (John Michael Gyllenborg). Three offensive linemen -- Wes King, Jack Walsh and Caden Barnett -- are back in the fold, too. So is quarterback Kaden Anderson, who took the reins late in 2024.

Now, let's break down this team, position by position, ahead of Mountain West Media Days July 16-17 in Las Vegas:

PLAYERS | *Chris Durr Jr., *Jaylen Sargent, Eric Richardson, Deion DeBlanc, Jaylan Bean, Jackson Holman, Michael Fitzgerald, Ke'Lyn Washom, Charlie Coenen, Tyler Nystrom, Pierre "PJ" Jackson, Bricen Brantley, Clay Nanke (* - Presumed starter)

POSITION COACH | Jovon Bouknight - 1st season

WHAT TO WATCH | Can Jaylen Sargent pick up where he left off last season? He was Kaden Anderson's favorite downfield target, averaging nearly 21 yards a catch over the final month. Chris Durr Jr. was one of the most explosive offensive weapons in the Mountain West in 2024. To think, most of his 31 catches and 248 receiving yards came with wild inconsistency at the quarterback spot, where the Cowboys featured one of the worst passing attacks in the nation. Bricen Brantley and Jaylan Bean are both over 6-foot-3. That duo started to make plays in the spring. Will that carry over? Clay Nanke caught just four passes at the tight end spot last fall. He did average 16 yards a grab, though. Jackson Holman comes to Laramie from Arizona where he mainly played a special teams role. Fellow transfers Michael Fitzgerald (Central Missouri) and Eric Richardson (Northwest Missouri State) are also big, fast targets. Deion DeBlanc, along with roommate and top in-state recruit, quarterback Mason Drube, garnered the most attention this spring. The speedster from Houston received scholarship offers from the who's who of the college football world. His relationship with head coach Jay Sawvel eventually sealed the deal. How long will it take for the rookie to make his mark? Mike Grant was relieved of his duties last winter after spending nearly a decade as UW's receivers coach. We'll soon see if a change at the top finally yields better results.

SUMMARY | There might not be a more intriguing position group on this roster than Jovon Bouknight's wide receiver group. We've seen what Chris Durr Jr. can do. He snagged a team-high 31 passes last year and was a headache for opposing defenses on third down. Jaylen Sargent finally broke out during his junior campaign, hauling in 23 balls for 480 yards and three touchdowns. Nearly 200 of those came in Albuquerque in early November. Sargent averaged 31 yards per snag in a wild back-and-forth affair. This unit lost TK King, the Cowboys' lone All-Mountain West selection (kick returner), and Justin Stevenson to the NCAA Transfer Portal. The latter is at Utah after racking up 204 yards through the air to go along with three touchdowns. King landed at New Mexico State. Will Pelissier exhausted his eligibility after a 212-yard season. Alex Brown did, too. The sixth-year senior caught just two passes before his season ended with a knee injury. This is a "prove-it year" for wideouts like Jaylan Bean and Bricen Brantley. This is a chance to finally get on the field for Jackson Holman. Can Michael Fitzgerald and Eric Richardson thrive at this level? We'll see. Quietly, Charlie Coenen and Tyler Nystrom made plays throughout the spring. So did freshman Deion DeBlanc, who figures to play a key role this fall in both the slot and potentially the return game. A plethora of talented tight ends, led by John Michael Gyllenborg, could open things up for this unit. Same can be said for stability on the line and under center. A Wyoming-like running game can only benefit this unproven group, too.

QUOTABLE | "Who I was as a receiver, you know, I try to embody into these players. These guys are a reflection of me. So, I know how I coach, I know how I play. You know, the fine details, the toughness, that's going to be demanded and required at all times ... I would say the expectation -- or the standard -- has got to elevate and be a little bit higher, because I know what the hiccups were last year. I think, you know, me understanding that and knowing that I got to raise this bar. I know the players that are in the room. I know their ability, as opposed to going into somewhere I don't know. So, I do know what's ahead of me. I know we are capable, but we do need work," UW wide receivers coach Jovon Bouknight said last February.

- University of Wyoming’s Top 50 Football Players