Recruiting, Portal Misses Have Lasting Impact in Laramie

LARAMIE -- It's not rare these days, but it's still somehow eye-opening.

When Jack Walsh and Caden Barnett strolled through the Western Thunder Marching band and out to midfield to embrace their parents in an emotional senior sendoff, it wasn't just a goodbye to Wyoming football, it signified the current state of college football.

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Nineteen high school prospects signed in the 2021 recruiting class. Just eight of those -- Sam Scott, John Michael Gyllenborg, Andrew Johnson, Ben Florentine, Jaylen Sargent and Tyce Westland, along with Walsh and Barnett -- were honored that day inside a sun-splashed War Memorial Stadium.

Florentine, a defensive tackle who was recently named an All-Mountain West honorable mention, was a walk-on.

A worldwide pandemic certainly played its part in the evaluation of that particular group (on-campus visits weren't permitted) but former head coach Craig Bohl also chose not to add a single player through the NCAA Transfer portal, which was still in its infancy.

The program certainly lost some, though.

Charles Hicks, Davon Wells-Ross, Mana Taimani, Caleb Roberson and Cameron Smith all entered college football's version of free agency following the 2020 COVID-shortened campaign.

The roster losses and recruiting whiffs were only magnified the following year.

Just eight of 19 players remain from the 2022 class: Charlie Coenen, Rex Johnsen, Wes King, Caleb Merritt, Isaac Schoenfeld, Malique Singleton, Carson York and Kevin Sjogren.

Nine of the eventual defectors hardly played, if at all, during their brief stints in Laramie. The only significant loss from that freshman group was defensive tackle Jaden Williams, who last offseason left for the University of Kentucky.

Following a 52-38 victory over Kent State in the Famous Idaho Potato Bowl, one in which quarterback Levi Williams was named the game's MVP after rushing for a record 200 yards and four touchdowns, a number of starters entered the transfer portal.

That included Williams.

The program's leading receiver Isaiah Neyor, top rusher Xazavian Valladay and both corners, CJ Coldon and Azizi Hearn, bolted. So did edge rusher Solomon Byrd, safety Rome Weber, quarterback Sean Chambers and nickelback Keyon Blankenbaker.

Though it didn't register at the time, the biggest loss of all might have been offensive tackle Malik Williams.

The Bay Area product only appeared in one game at Wyoming but went on to become a critical piece of the San Jose State front five. While the Cowboys struggled at left tackle throughout the 2024 season, Williams started all 13 games for a Spartan line that allowed only 12 sacks and featured the best passing attack in the Mountain West Conference.

Jagger Filippone and Mykel Janise never played a snap in the brown and gold. Fellow lineman Deshawn Woods, only the second four-star prospect in the history of the program (Jon Hawk - 2002) and the top recruit in the state of Nebraska, per Rivals.com, was also brought in that spring. He never suited up either during his one season in Laramie.

Johnsen and King remain and were both starters last fall.

That position, Sawvel has said time and time again, is an expensive one on the open market. Look no further than Emmanuel Pregnon, who after being named a Freshman All-American that same season, "leveled up" and reportedly received a nice payday to transfer to USC. He is now at Oregon.

Those misses and losses in '22 still linger today, the head coach said Wednesday, the opening of the NCAA's early signing period.

"There are layers and pieces to it that are residual from past recruiting, in a sense, too," he said when asked about the struggles of an offense that averaged just 16 points per game in last fall's 4-8 campaign. "So, there's truth in that."

Bohl did snag quarterbacks Andrew Peasley and Evan Svoboda (You might recall the "help wanted" ad on social media) and cornerbacks Derron Harrell and Jakorey Hawkins and linebacker Cole DeMarzo out of the portal after the mass exodus that followed the bowl in Boise. Bohl finally seemed to be adapting to the ever-evolving landscape of the sport the following winter, too, bringing in running back Harrison Waylee and wide receivers Ayir Asante and Devin Boddie Jr., among others.

The program again added pieces to its trenches through the prep ranks, though, signing Jake Davies, Quinn Grovesteen-Matchey, Wyatt Walters, Brandt Rice and Nate Geiger.

The latter has suffered back-to-back ACL tears. Because of that first knee injury to Geiger, Davies, then a redshirt freshman, was forced into a starting role in the opening game of the 2024 campaign, and allowed 42 quarterback pressures and seven sacks that season, according to Pro Football Focus. The other three have played sparingly, if at all.

That 2023 class included 22 scholarship players. Just nine are on the roster today, including quarterback Kaden Anderson, wideout Bricen Brantley and defensive tackles Dante Drake and Jayden Williams. Former starters like Keany Parks, Justin Stevenson, Ethan Day, Naz Hill, Boddie and Waylee all transferred.

There were double-digit misses that year, too -- players who never or rarely saw the field -- though mostly preferred walk-on's: Jaxon Galica, Tyler Jacklish, Miles Tucker, Kuba Tyska, Lucas Chappell, Dante Gavito and Daylen Wilson, along with in-state products Abraham Bangura (Laramie), Kayden LaFramboise (Gillette) and Javon Davis (Casper), among others.

From 2021-23, Bohl's final three classes as the head coach at Wyoming, only 20 remain. That includes zero all-conference selections. This program also hasn't produced an NFL Draft pick since 2022 when linebacker Chad Muma was taken in the third round by the Jacksonville Jaguars.

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Jay Sawvel has plugged the dam since he was named the head coach in December of '23. Player retention, in part, was at the heart of the hire, Wyoming's Athletics Director Tom Burman said that day.

After a three-win campaign the next fall, Sawvel's first as a head coach at any level, he poured time -- and resources -- into rebuilding the defense. With Walsh and Barnett back, along with pass catchers Chris Durr Jr., Sargent and Gyllenborg, Wyoming returned better than 80% of its production from the year prior.

He thought that side of the ball was in good shape.

Turns out, it wasn't.

The Cowboys, led by Anderson, averaged just 16 points per game in 2025. Even that number is inflated thanks to two defensive touchdowns. Despite again a mostly-forgettable 4-8 season, there were glimpses of what could be coming down the pike.

Nine true freshmen appeared in a game last year.

Samuel Harris finished as the team's leading rusher with 558 yards rushing. The rookie they call "Tote" snagged the starting job in Week 2. Wideout Deion DeBlanc also became a focal point of that unit late in the season. He capped his first go 'round on the high plains with 144 yards of total offense and returned a punt 73 yards for a touchdown in a home win over San Jose State.

Tight end Kyle Frendt got his feet wet. So did receiver Pierre "PJ" Jackson, corner Tyson Deen, offensive lineman Johnathan Bush, linebackers Steven Perez and Parker Moore, along with the state's top recruit, quarterback Mason Drube.

Redshirt freshmen Dash Bauman, Giovanni Panozzo, Gary Rutherford, David Leonard, Tegen Seeds and Jaylan Bean saw significant minutes. Cornerbacks Tyrese Boss and Markie Grant, along with linebacker Evan Eller and offensive tackle Braylon Jenkins and Durr were all starters.

The portal in 2025 also proved to be fruitful for Sawvel and Co., who took an unorthodox approach to the roster rebuild.

He said a conversation with Arizona State head coach Kenny Dillingham shaped his ultimate outlook: Get players, no matter the level, who live and breathe football and want to be Wyoming Cowboys.

It worked -- on defense.

Brayden Johnson led all tacklers with 80. He added a sack and two interceptions, including one he returned for a touchdown. The senior played at Oklahoma Baptist, a Division-II school in his home state. Fellow linebacker Ethan Stuhlsatz, who came to Laramie from Lindenwood, tallied 41 tackles. He is now in line to take over the middle linebacker spot.

The secondary was loaded with transfers, including Justin Taylor, Brooklyn Cheek, Jaden DaCosta, Desman Hearns and Dainsus Miller. Edge rushers Peter Eyabi, Larry Wilson, Chisom Ifeanyi and Esaia Bogar were in a rotation throughout the season.

Wyoming Wednesday signed 20 new freshmen to the 2026 recruiting class. After Sawvel finds an offensive coordinator, a process that has already begun, he will set his sights on the portal once again, looking to work that same magic on one of the worst offenses in the nation.

He desires a veteran quarterback. Those, Burman said on Thursday, can run you roughly $500,000. Sawvel also wants to add a smash-mouth tight end, a running back and two-to-three receivers. A pair offensive linemen are also on the wish list.

So far four have announced their intentions to leave the program this offseason: running backs Patrick Broadway II and Terron Kellman, along with offensive lineman Luke Sandy and Durr. More will surely come. Some, Sawvel added, won't have a choice with newly-implemented roster limits set for 105.

He expects his defense to remain mostly intact. His focus is on scoring.

"There's a couple things, in a big way, that we need to get fixed," Sawvel said. "And first and foremost, we got to score points. I'm so pissed that we're not scoring points. We're going to get that addressed."

Here's the full breakdown, according to gowyo.com:

2021 Recruiting Class (Bohl):

OL - Caden Barnett ^#

S - Wrook Brown $

DT - Will Evans #

TE - John Michael Gyllenborg ^

S - Andrew Johnson ^

CB - Jovan Marsh #

LB - Tommy McEvoy #

WR - Jaylan Sargent ^

LB - Sam Scott ^

CB - Kolbey Taylor $

DT - JJ Uphold #

RB - Jordon Vaughn $#

OL - Jack Walsh ^

DE - Tyce Westland ^

S - Tommy Wroblewski #

LB - Micah Young #

RB - DQ James

WR - Tony Evans # (deceased)

2022 Recruiting Class (Bohl):

LB - Cole DeMarzo +

CB - Deron Harrell +

QB - Andrew Peasley +

QB - Evan Svoboda +

CB - Jakorey Hawkins +

QB - Caden Becker $#

WR - Charlie Coenen ^*

CB - Josh Dixon #

OL - Jagger Filippone $#

LB - Cayden Hawkins $#

OL - Mykel Janise $#

OL - Rex Johnsen ^*

OL - Wes King ^*

S - Koa McIntyre $

WR - Caleb Merritt ^

RB - LJ Richardson #

TE - Isaac Schoenfeld ^*

S - Malique Singleton ^

DE - Kevin Sjogren ^*

DT - Jaden Williams $

OL - Luke Sandy $

OL - Deshawn Woods $#

S - TJ Urban #

LS - Carson York ^

2023 Recruiting Class (Bohl):

RB - Harrison Waylee +$

QB - Kaden Anderson ^*

CB - Ian Bell ^*

WR - Bricen Brantley ^*

CB - Chauncey Carter #

OL - Jake Davies ^*

DT - Dante Drake ^*

OL - Quinn Grovesteen-Matchey ^*

CB - Naz Hill $#

RB - Keany Parks $

DT - Lucas Samsula ^*

WR - Justin Stevenson $

DE - Tell Wade ^*

DT - Jayden Williams ^*

WR - Ayir Asante +

WR - Devin Boddie Jr. +

CB - Tyrecus Davis +$

DL - Lucas Chappell (PWO) +#

DB - Jevon Davis (PWO) +#

DE - Ethan Day (PWO) +$

OL - Dante Gavito (PWO) +#

DB - Daylen Wilson (PWO) +#

OL - Nate Geiger ^*

RB - Tyler Jacklich #$

OL - Brandt Rice ^*

S - Jones Thomas ^*

OL - Kuba Tyska #$

OL - Abraham Bangura #

DL - Cody Crawford ^*

DL - Jaxon Galica #$

WR - Kayden LaFramboise #

TE/FB - Cooper Mailand ^*

S - Miles Tucker #$

DE - Jordan Turnbull ^*

OL - Wyatt Walters ^*

2024 Recruiting Class (Sawvel):

OL - Spencer Rathbun ^*

WR - Chris Durr Jr. $

OL - Braylon Jenkins ^*

OL - Brycen Lotz #

QB - Deyon Batiste #$

TE - Hunter Kallstrom #$

DE - Eltoum Murgus ^*

DT - Nathan Murphy #

DT - Garret Combs #

S - Bleyne Bryant ^*

TE - Jake Wilson ^*

LB - Dash Bauman ^*

OL - Giovanni Panozzo ^*

LB - Gary Rutherford ^*

DT - Alex Haswell ^*

LB - Adrian Onyiego #$

CB - Tyrese Boss ^*

CB - Charles Williams #

OL - Alex Conn #

K - Keelan Anderson ^*

LB - Jack Harvey #

DB - Drew Jackson ^*

WR - Tyler Nystrom ^*

WR - Trey Olsen #$

DB - Joaquin Sandoval ^*

OL - Tegen Seeds ^*

RB - Dontae Bruch ^*

RB - Nico Hamilton *^

S - David Leonard *^

DT - Jordan Abarca #$

CB - Markie Grant ^*

LB - Evan Eller +^

RB - DJ Jones +#

WR - TK King +$

WR - Jaylan Bean +*

S - Garrett McGriff +#

TE - Clay Nanke +

2025 Recruiting Class (Sawvel):

LB - Brayden Johnson +

LB - Ethan Stuhlsatz +*

N - Desman Hearns +*

S - Justin Taylor +*

S - Brooklyn Cheek +*

S - Jaden DaCosta +*

CB - Dainsus Miller +

DT - Aneesh Vyas +

LB - Parker Moore ^*

WR - Deion DeBlanc ^*

OL - Tariq Miller ^*

TE - Kyle Frendt ^*

LB - Steven Perez ^*

RB - Sam Harris ^*

RB - Patrick Broadway #$

RB - Jaden Lawrence #$

OL - Johnathan Bush ^*

OL - Kalvin Janssen ^*

DT - Henry Rehberg ^*

WR - Ke'Lyn Washom ^*

WR - Pierre "PJ" Jackson ^*

DE - Axel Ramazani #

TE - Landon Pace ^*

OL - Cooper Lawson ^*

CB - BJ Inmon +*

DE - Cade Brook ^*

S - Elvin Ampofo ^*

S - Kaiden Kimble-Turner ^*

DB - Tyson Deen ^*

QB - Mason Drube ^*

WR - Eric Richardson +*

DE - Larry Wilson +

RB - Terron Kellman +$

DE - Dawan Martin #

OL - Josiah Petaia +*

WR - Jackson Holman +*

QB - Landon Sims +*

DE - Esaia Bogar +*

DE - Jason Handy ^*

DT - Gabriel Ikechukwu #

LS - Charlie Houston ^*

2026 Recruiting Class can be found HERE.

* Currently on roster

+ Transfer

$ Left in portal

^ Played entire career at UW

# Rarely if ever played

- University of Wyoming’s Top 50 Football Players