Wyoming Football: News and Notes From Offseason Workout

LARAMIE -- Jay Sawvel wasn't kidding last month when he pointed at a vacant whiteboard next to him and sarcastically announced he was giving the local media a sneak peek at his defensive depth chart.

Wyoming's head coach reiterated Friday that jobs are wide open -- for the most part.

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"You can maybe say Sabastian Harsh is a guy that's a returning starter that's been productive. Tyce Westland did good things," Sawvel said, referring to a pair of edge rushers. "Wrook (Brown) has been productive (at nickel). Outside of that, there's not a job that's cemented."

That's not to say that the trio won't get pushed this spring.

Six new defensive ends are now in the fold. Transfers Dawan Martin (Youngstown State), Brayden Wilson (Weber State) and Esaia Bogar (Riverside City College) are already on campus. So is true freshman Axel Ramazani (Des Moines, Iowa). Fellow rookies Jason Handy (Cedar Park, Texas) and Cade Brook (Aurora, Colo.) will be here this summer.

Kevin Sjogren is also returning from a season-ending injury.

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Brown, who has intercepted a team-best six passes over the previous two seasons, also gained plenty of competition this offseason.

Sawvel and Co. added four safeties in the portal. Two others -- Elvin Ampofo (Aurora, Colo.) and Kaiden Kimble-Turner (Kuna, Idaho) -- will also arrive in June. Malique Singleton is taking part in winter workouts. Andrew Johnson has also played the position.

"That's the great thing about it, is the fact that everybody's got to fight for what they've got," Sawvel added.

Wyoming, like all FBS programs, will be forced to cut its roster down to 105. That deadline, as of now, is still unknown. What is certain is 103 players will take part in spring practice, beginning March 25. Another 21 newbies are on the way.

Nineteen will be on the outside looking in at some point.

Here are some other news and notes from Friday's practice in Laramie:

* There were plenty of new faces inside the Cowboys' indoor practice facility. Sawvel spent time on the sidelines, attempting to point out the incoming crop, which includes 16 transfers, four freshmen -- quarterback Mason Drube, wide receiver Deion DeBlanc, cornerback Tyson Deen and edge rusher Ramazani (injured) -- and a handful of walk-on's.

* To make things even more confusing, no one was wearing a name or number as they ran through cone drills and participated in 7-on-7. The words "It's personal" was printed on plenty of backs. Sawvel has said that statement encapsulates the feeling on this roster after last season's 3-9 finish.

* Clay Nanke, the Colorado State transfer, who snagged four passes for 64 yards during his first season in Laramie, is making the move from tight end to wide receiver, per Sawvel. The 6-foot-6, 230-pound Denver product certainly looks the part. He also averaged 16 yards per grab last fall. Wyoming has a logjam at tight end with returners John Michael Gyllenborg, Isaac Shoenfeld, Justin Erb, Evan Svoboda and Jake Wilson. Two true freshmen are on the way too, including NFL Hall of Famer Orlando Pace's son, Landon Pace. He already stands 6-foot-3 and weighs in at 230.

* Nanke isn't the only player making a position switch. Sawvel said in February Jack Walsh would slide over from guard to center, replacing Nofoafia Tulafono. Now, it appears Caden Barnett will take over for Walsh, moving a spot over from right tackle. That could potentially open the door for junior Rex Johnsen. Sawvel said he is also high on a pair of redshirts, Braylon Jenkins and Giovanni Panozzo. "Offensive line wise, you know, last year we had about three, three-and-a-half winning players per game," Sawvel said. "... That's got to get up to nine." Wes King, Alex Conn and Nate Geiger, among many others, will get a look this offseason.

* Terron Kellman, a running back transfer from Charlotte, is bigger than ever, according to his head coach. Sawvel said the junior has never played heavier than 197 during his collegiate career. He is currently tipping the scale at 209. Kellman rolled up 242 rushing yards on just 48 attempts last fall. Originally a Northern Illinois commit, current Wyoming running back Harrison Waylee hosted Kellman on his visit back in 2022.

* Presumptive starting QB Kaden Anderson and Gillette's Drube spent the morning blowing through drills together. The latter is listed at 6-foot-3, 205 pounds. Anderson sits at 6-foot-4, 221. Aside from the curly hairdo on the big Texan, these two look awfully similar at first glance.

* Edge rusher Eltoum Murgas was the first player to lose his lunch during this intense, two-plus-hour workout. Can't blame him. Every Friday is reserved for competition, breaking up the monotony of running and field work. The 6-foot-3, 205-pound Kansas City product is light, but quick. Was fun watching him put his foot in the ground, weaving in and out of tackling dummies.

* Who will man the inside and the weak linebacker spots next fall? That's still up for debate, Sawvel said. What isn't is the newest duo's size. Senior Brayden Johnson (Oklahoma Baptist) is 6-foot-3, 232 pounds. Ethan Stuhlsatz (Lindenwood) is an inch taller and 10 pounds lighter. "Right now, you're looking at the fact that your lightest linebacker is 232 pounds," Sawvel said. "A year ago, our heaviest linebacker was 228." He said that advantage can add to more blitz packages, for instance, this season. He also added that Stuhlsatz is one of the Top-10 fastest players on this roster.

* A dozen former Cowboys will take part in NFL Pro Day next Wednesday in Laramie. Draft-eligible players scheduled to participate are: Safeties Wyett Ekeler and Isaac White, linebackers Shae Suiaunoa and Connor Shay, tight end Nick Miles, fullback Caleb Driskill, defensive linemen Jordan Bertagnole and DeVonne Harris, wide receiver Alex Brown, center Tulafono, punter Jack Culbreath and the program's all-time leading scorer, placekicker John Hoyland.

* Wyoming's annual Brown and Gold Spring game is set for April 26 inside War Memorial Stadium. Sawvel is opening every Saturday practice to the public and all other workouts to the local media. He warned you better pack a lunch. Those sessions will go at least two-and-a-half hours. "We've got to become a far more violent football team," he said. "We're not anywhere close to where we needed to be with that. We're going to figure that one out this spring."

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