Wyoming’s Adrian Onyiego Learning the Pass-Rushing Ropes

LARAMIE -- The counter was installed into Wyoming's offense last Tuesday.

Right guard Caden Barnett -- all 320 pounds of him -- bolted across the formation after the snap, clearing a wide-open path for his running back after wiping out the defensive end on the opposite side of the line of scrimmage.

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Adrian Onyiego was on the receiving end of that pull.

"He got me today, I'm not going to lie," he said with a smile and a slight head shake. " ... He was just coming and he hit me in the shoulder. I couldn't feel my arm for a few periods. It definitely woke me up."

It's all part of the learning process.

Onyiego, a former three-star recruit and the 14th-ranked prospect out of the state of Minnesota in the 2024 class, was initially brought here to play linebacker. Injuries, along with a long jam at that position, led to a conversation about moving the then freshman to the edge.

During his senior season at Rogers High School, Onyiego tallied just 26 tackles and added 12 assists. While those numbers don't exactly pop off the page, these ones do: 16 of those were for loss. Four were sacks.

He also tacked on three forced fumbles and blocked a punt.

That damage was all done at his new position.

"A lot of my film from high school was at defensive end, but I was at like 180 (pounds)," Onyiego said. "So, I was just really a fast guy that could beat any offensive lineman."

See that weight above?

That's another reason Onyiego was projected at linebacker. After a full year in Laramie, though, the scale now reads 230. That's what happens when strength and nutrition coaches are nipping at you every day, he joked.

"If they're always on your case, good things happen," the redshirt freshman continued.

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Now that task has moved to Brian Hendricks, and it has nothing to do with his physique. Wyoming's defensive ends coach is preaching the gospel of pad level, footwork and hand placement.

"Each day he's improving on something, but he's also learning through a lot of failure," Hendricks said. "There are times where things aren't going his way, but at least he can come up to you and tell you what he did wrong. We're able to talk football to one another, but again, you can't truly understand it until you do it.

"When you're close to the football as a defensive end, you blink and you're going to be wrong."

That aspect of the move, Onyiego admitted, has been one of the biggest challenges of this transition. He used to be a handful of yards behind the line with plenty of time to react.

Not anymore.

Onyiego prides himself on being coachable. Development is a major reason he chose Wyoming over schools like Minnesota and Iowa State.

"We just felt like we needed to make that move and that transition," head coach Jay Sawvel said. "He'll get a lot of reps right now. He's still kind of figuring it all out, but I have confidence in him.

"He's come a long way in a year, and I'm really pleased with where he's at."

This switch could also provide a more direct path to the lineup, too.

Braden Siders is now at West Virginia. Ethan Day took his talents to North Texas. Sabastian Harsh is now on the roster at North Carolina State. DeVonne Harris finally exhausted his eligibility after six years on campus.

All of that spells opportunity.

Sawvel and Co. did add five edge rushers to the mix this offseason. Tyce Westland is back in the fold, too. Wyoming is also in the market to add a "best available" in the spring window of the NCAA Transfer Portal.

Sawvel hopes to land another pass rusher.

Onyiego's marching orders are direct.

"They really like my motor," he said. "Even though I'm underweight right now, I'm handling it strength wise with the O-linemen. So, I just really need to continue to grind to get game ready."

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