Worried Wyoming Football Has Just Four Verbal Commits?

LARAMIE -- Colorado State already has 21 verbal commitments, tied for second most in the Mountain West Conference.

Jay Norvell, as of now, also boasts the 63rd best class in the country, according to recruiting website 247sports.com. Seventeen of these would-be Rams have three stars behind their names.

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Despite that program's impending move to the new-look Pac-12 in just 364 days, many Wyoming fans still -- and always will -- use their Border War rival as a barometer.

Concerned the Cowboys currently have just four pledges in their 2026 class?

Don't be.

At this time last year, Jay Sawvel lured in the same number of freshmen -- quarterback Mason Drube, offensive lineman Tariq Miller, tight end Kyle Frendt and defensive tackle Henry Rehberg -- and capped the month of July with just five newcomers, including linebacker Parker Moore.

The Cowboys ended up with a rookie class of 24.

Why the slow start out of the gate?

Bringing prospects to campus during the slow summer months (April 1 through the last Wednesday in June) on official visits hasn't proven to be advantageous in the past, according to a source familiar with the process. Players from surrounding states like Colorado and Nebraska, though, occasionally come to Laramie this time of year. That's because they can easily make it back for a game in the fall, that same source said.

"You don't want a kid from Texas coming all the way up here with nothing going on," he added. "An empty stadium and the farmer's market isn't exactly a selling point."

Wyoming's head coach, time and again, mentioned last fall that it's you, the fans, that has ultimately led to signatures.

Houston wide receiver Deion DeBlanc saw it with his own eyes, Sawvel said. So did Star Valley lineman Cooper Lawson, St. Louis tight end Landon Pace and many, many others.

That trio also featured offers from the likes of Power-4 programs like Oregon, Texas Tech, Arizona State, Arkansas, Ohio State and Wisconsin.

"When you come and see the game atmosphere, you know what Cowboy football means to people and the support that we have. It's not lost on our players," Sawvel said last December, during his early signing day press conference. "Look, we just played at one this past weekend (Washington State) that, we didn't have a crowd all year that looked like that. Our crowds are double that throughout the year, as far as energy, enthusiasm and the whole atmosphere to it."

Despite a three-win campaign last season that saw the Cowboys win just one game inside War Memorial Stadium, average attendance hovered around nearly 22,000 in a venue that holds 29,181.

"Look, the people of Wyoming help us in so many ways," Sawvel continued. "Some of it's not even ever talking to a recruit, a financial donation or anything else, it's the atmosphere and the care that people have for the program."

The program would like to have around "seven or eight" verbals by the time fall camp kicks off July 28, per that same source. That number would include the players who already say they are en route to the high plains next fall:

* Jonathan Pearcy - OL - 6'4", 290 - Liberty, Mo.

* Taylor Hasselbeck - QB - 6'2", 185 - Nashville, Tenn. - 3 star

* Beck Haswell - TE/DE - 6'3", 210 - Sheridan, Wyo.

* Pierce Decker - OL - 6'7", 250 - Fort Collins, Colo. - 3 star

Other current Mountain West verbal commits, per 247sports:

* Air Force - 20

* Colorado State - 21

* Boise State - 19

* Fresno State - 21

* Hawaii - 9

* Nevada - 12

* New Mexico - 11

* San Diego State - 22

* San Jose State - 9

* UNLV - 18

* Utah State - 6

* Wyoming - 4

Incoming Mountain West programs:

* Northern Illinois - 21

* UTEP - 18

- University of Wyoming’s Top 50 Football Players