‘Tote” Harris Could be Most Well-Rounded Back Since Valladay

LARAMIE -- The whistle blew. The collision followed.

The drill was one-on-one pass protection. Gary Rutherford, a 234-pound linebacker, who if the season started today would likely be the Cowboys' starter on the weakside, was tasked with getting to a yellow dummy that represents a quarterback, standing tall in the pocket.

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Samuel Harris played the role of road block.

The sophomore running back, who tips the scales at a few ticks under 200, absorbed the initial blow on Tuesday afternoon inside Wyoming's indoor practice facility. Then came the clinic. The Texas product they call "Tote" latched on -- legally -- and manhandled his defensive counterpart that also sports the No. 26.

Rutherford never laid a hand on that blocking bag.

Harris wasn't yet done terrorizing the redshirt sophomore.

In another dual between the two, this time a passing drill, the speedster made one violent cut and easily breezed past Rutherford before hauling in the slant pass and racing toward the end zone. The move drew an audible reaction from those nearby.

Running backs coach, Gary Harrell, even celebrated the play with a few exaggerated hops and and high five or two.

"I feel like whenever you see Tote get the ball, something explosive is bound to happen," redshirt freshman safety Kaiden Kimble-Turner said. "He's a special player. Everybody sees it.

But wait, there's more.

Harris made a break for the sideline as the offense ran 7-on-7 drills near midfield. He was supposed to be the safety outlet for signal caller Mason Drube, who had his eyes fixated downfield. With no one open, the Gillette native looked to his tailback, who juked another linebacker in the flat, this time rookie Mason Wright, and flew up the south sideline.

The heave, just a touch too far, was no problem for Harris, who extended for the ball and reeled it in before crashing to the turf. He immediately popped up and put Harrell's jubilee to shame.

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Throughout the team's 10th practice of the spring, Harris also showed off his trademark wheels. He displayed plenty of patience in the backfield, along with the burst that made him a coveted commodity in this offseason's transfer-portal market.

As a true freshman, he rolled up a team-high 558 yards on the ground. His best individual outing came on the road at Colorado where he torched Deion Sanders' Buffs to the tune of 126 yards on just 19 carries. That included a long of 50.

"I've told him this multiple times, 'I'm willing to give up my left arm to make sure you get in that end zone,'" redshirt freshman center Johnathan Bush said. "So, knowing that he has that trust in me and I have that trust in him, that's a bond that you can't just form or break. It's wonderful."

Jay Sawvel said Tuesday Harris could be the most well-rounded back he's seen during his six-plus seasons on the high plains. Xazavian Valladay, the program's second all-time leading rusher, once held that title.

Not anymore.

And to think, Harris is just a handful of months removed from MCL surgery. He's actually being held back at the moment, Wyoming's head coach said.

"Tote has all those same traits, all those same skills with quite a bit more horsepower in the engine," Sawvel said, making the comparison to Valladay, who amassed 3,281 rushing yards in his four-year career in Laramie. "Look, we expect him to have a big, big year."

Valladay also hauled in 51 passes for 584 yards and two touchdowns. Harris snagged 16 balls last fall and racked up 184 yards.

Harris is stronger than he was a year ago, adding nearly 10 pounds of lean-muscle mass this winter. With the summer cycle approaching, Sawvel expects that number to rise even more.

During the initial practice of the spring, newcomer Thaddeus Gianaris took Harris down in the backfield, drawing the ire of the boss. Before the 2024 campaign, Sawvel's first season at the helm, running back Harrison Waylee was a victim of friendly fire and suffered a knee injury that cost him all but four games.

It wasn't a distinct rear-end chewing, but Sawvel joked at the time he did threaten to toss the 6-foot-2, 244-pound defensive end out of practice if that ever happens again.

Harris may have a mandated no-contact order placed on him now -- that will come in August, Sawvel added -- but he will be heavily relied upon to bring winning ways back to this campus.

So, don't mind the kid-gloves approach, Sawvel is well aware what Harris brings to the table when the lights come on.

"Right now, he's in a really good spot," Sawvel said. "I've kept really close with him through the spring, as far as how he's feeling. We don't play a game until September."

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