Welcome to Wyoming Football: Xavier Jackson

LARAMIE -- Wyoming, once again, has welcomed nearly 50 new faces to the roster this offseason.

Transfer portal era, am I right?

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Jay Sawvel again made a list of 10 "keepers" last December, heading into free agency. Running back Samuel "Tote" Harris was, no doubt, high on that list. So were defensive tackles Dante Drake and Jayden Williams. The Cowboys' third-year head coach also wanted to hang on to players like tight end Jake Wilson, wideout Deion DeBlanc, nickel corner Desman Hearns and offensive tackles Rex Johnsen and Braylon Jenkins, among others.

Mission accomplished. All are back for another round on the high plains.

The team did lose its top-four outside targets, including leading receiver Chris Durr Jr., who is now at Maryland. Two impact cornerbacks also hit the open market. Tyrese Boss is at Arizona. Markie Grant headed west to former conference rival Utah State.

Wyoming will also have a new quarterback under center, snagging William and Mary graduate transfer Tyler Hughes, who has one season of eligibility remaining. The hope is he'll right the ship at that spot, keeping the seat warm for Gillette's Mason Drube.

The Cowboys also reloaded in the offensive backfield and at the line of scrimmage, adding 1,000-yard rusher Markell Holman and interior linemen Chandler Donaway, Jason Maciejcak and Jeremiah Katt.

You'll read all about those guys, along with 20-plus freshmen, in this summer series: Welcome to Wyoming football.

NAME | Xavier Jackson

YEAR | Freshman

HT/WT | 6' 2", 295

HOMETOWN | O'Fallon, Mo.

POSITION | Defensive tackle

JERSEY NUMBER | N/A

PREVIOUS SCHOOL | Fort Zumwalt North High School

YEARS OF ELIGIBILITY | Four

NOTABLE | Fourteen. That's the number of scholarship offers this 295-pound nose tackle garnered after his junior season. That included basically the entire MAC Conference: Western Michigan, Eastern Michigan, Central Michigan, Ball State, Kent State and Miami (Ohio). Washington State wanted Xavier Jackson. So did Mountain West newcomer Northern Illinois, among others. Wyoming won out. Jackson, who is from the suburbs of St. Louis, registered 59 tackles last fall, including seven behind the line of scrimmage. He finished with six quarterback sacks and even picked off a pass while helping lead his team to a 10-2 record and a conference championship.

QUOTABLE | "That's a body that we hadn't been able to recruit very often. It was always a finger's-crossed moment as to, 'OK, when's the shoe going to drop? We can't get this guy.' It never did and he's so excited to come here. This is a 6-foot-2, 290-pound guy who's playing basketball right now," -- Wyoming head coach Jay Sawvel on signing day in December, speaking about landing Xavier Jackson.

WELCOME TO WYOMING SUMMER SERIES:

* LB - Anthony Beavers Jr.

* S - Jett Vincent

* WR - Justin Popovich

* QB - Tyler Hughes

* CB - Junus McGraw

* RB - Markell Holman

* CB - Logan Mackey

* S - Travis Franklin Jr.

* WR - Jayden Williams

* LB - Karson Butts

* S - Da'Marion Brownlee