Making the Grade: What’s Up With Wyoming’s Wideouts?

MOUNT PLEASANT, Mich., -- Knock, knock.

Is anyone there? Anyone?

Get our free mobile app

Just six Wyoming wide receivers have seen the field so far this fall. Those players have been targeted in the passing game a grand total of 26 times. Only four have a catch. Eric Richardson and Charlie Coenen have accounted for 10 of the dozen catches through three games.

Even the running backs have snagged 13 throws.

For comparison's sake, tight ends Jake Wilson, Kyle Frendt, Isaac Schoenfeld and Tyler Siddons have a combined 19 grabs for 267 yards.

Frendt, a 6-foot-5, 240-pound sophomore, hauled in four balls Saturday at Central Michigan for a career-high 95 yards. It could have been even more if quarterback Tyler Hughes spotted him all alone near the goal line late in the second quarter.

There were other opportunities, too.

He was basically the lone highlight for the visitors on a soggy afternoon inside Kelly/Shorts Stadium. He also has more receiving yards this season -- 128 -- than the entire receiving corps -- 114.

What is going on?

I posed this question to Jay Sawvel postgame in Mount Pleasant: "You said numerous times this offseason that you 'took a blowtorch to this thing.' You have to be really disappointed with the wide receivers?"

Wyoming's head coach failed to single out any position group.

The plan was to score at least one touchdown per quarter. So far, through 12 of those, the Cowboys' offense has dropped a goose egg in five of them. Eight of those have produced less than seven points. Only one time has this unit reached double digits. That came in last Saturday's fourth-quarter come-from-behind win against Northern Colorado.

Sawvel pointed to a failed fourth down deep in Chippewa territory. He brought up a costly interception in the final frame, one that thwarted any hope of a comeback. One that didn't need to happen. One that sailed right into the hands of CMU safety Justin Taylor -- a former Wyoming Cowboy.

"I'm disappointed in our whole thing, offensively, right now, because we've been so inconsistent. We've been so spotty," Sawvel added. "That's not a knock on (offensive coordinator Christian) Taylor. It's not a knock on anything else that way, but we have been too much of our own worst enemy far too often."

Where is Bricen Brantley? The 6-foot-3 speedster was a starter on opening day last fall. He then went on to catch just five passes for 33 yards. Are rookies Jarell Gary and Jordan Styles not ready yet? What about Jayden Williams, another freshman who was making plays in camp?

Ke'Lyn Washom has a legit excuse. He was struck by a truck last week in Laramie while cruising in town on a motorized scooter. The Texas product is in concussion protocol.

Justin Popovich was the lone receiver picked up in free agency. He's been on the field for 12 whole plays.

"I'm really disappointed in our production right now," Sawvel continued. "I've got faith in our players -- that's not the issue there -- but I think that obviously there's a lot of things that we've got to improve at, and we got to take ownership of that all the way through: coaches, players, all the way through."

Jovon Bouknight? You there?

Let's check out some other PFF grades from the Cowboys' trip to the Mitten:

* Frendt was obviously the top performer on offense, finishing with an overall grade of 76.4. The next three in the pecking order are all offensive linemen: Giovanni Panozzo (72.4), Rex Johnsen (71.2) and Braylon Jenkins (70.0). Panozzo, the team's right guard, didn't allow a hit, hurry or pressure on 51 snaps, 32 of which were pass plays.

* Chandler Donaway received the first start of his UW career Saturday at CMU. The senior transfer from East Texas A&M slid in for Jason Maciejczak (leg), who was injured last week against UNC. He also finished with a clean pass-blocking day on 59 snaps.

* Hughes was the Cowboys' most-productive runner in this one. The graduate transfer from William and Mary carried the ball 10 times, finishing with a team-high 78 yards. He had a long of 21. The Georgia product capped his day with a PFF grade of 69.5.

* Now, when it comes to passing, Hughes again had a rough outing, completing only 14-of-30 throws for 173 yards. He was also picked off twice, bringing his season total to five. He only tossed three during the entire 2025 season. His final grade was 58.7.

* Run off the right side. That should've been the rallying cry today. Jenkins, who finished with a PFF grade of 79.6, was Wyoming's best run blocker. Wyoming mostly tried the middle of CMU's defense. Take away Jake Wilson's 20-yard run and the visitors averaged 3.4 yards per carry.

* Dash Bauman faced a tall task in Week 3. The sophomore from Lincoln, Neb., made his first-career start, filling in for Ethan Stuhlsatz, who is the nation's second-leading tackler with 26 through two games. An aching ankle prevented the senior from playing Saturday, leaving that duty to Bauman, who tallied 12 tackles, including one for loss. When it comes to PFF grades, he capped his debut as the seventh-best defender with a final number of 70.9. He missed three of the team's nine tackles and allowed two catches on the same amount of targets for 11 yards.

* CMU attempted just seven throws on the day, completing four. Nickelback Desman Hearns and Bauman gave up the catches. Kendall Griffin and Jones Thomas were both targeted once.

* Brooklyn Cheek was the top run defender on a day the Chippewas gashed the Cowboys for 339 yards on the ground. The safety from California landed a grade of 87.4, finishing with four tackles on 57 plays.

* Special teams grades are not yet available. That's likely good news for Bart Edmiston, who booted two kickoffs out of bounds. He also punted from CMU's 38-yard line late in the first quarter, kicking the ball into the end zone for a touchback. That was a net punt of 18 yards. Sawvel said postgame Edmiston will no longer handle kickoff duties. That now belongs to placekicker Erik Sandvik.

- University of Wyoming’s Top 50 Football Players