The 2025 Recruiting Road So Far: Wyoming

Welcome to the twelfth and final installment of our twelve-part series designed to make the dead period pass more quickly. These articles provide an in-depth look at each team’s recruiting efforts so far and what still needs to be done before National Letter of Intent Day in February. Each day features a different team in alphabetical order, and today’s focus is on Wyoming.

Wyoming: Heading into the 2024 season, Wyoming had high hopes, but things quickly fell apart. After starting the season with four consecutive losses, the team showed improvement but didn’t reach its full potential until the final month, following a quarterback change. The offense struggled, missing its all-conference running back and turning the ball over frequently. The defense was worn down, and injuries to key players further hampered the team’s performance. The promise of 2023 didn’t carry over into 2024, and the Cowboys finished near the bottom of the league in their first season post-Craig Bohl.

Despite the on-field struggles, head coach Jay Sawvel and his staff worked hard on recruiting. Read below to see how they performed in this regard.

The Road So Far: Wyoming’s recruiting efforts under Coach Bohl were steady but not exceptional, and Coach Sawvel has continued this approach, arguably improving slightly with the 2025 recruiting cycle. Out of the 22 players in this class, all but one are high school recruits, with the lone exception being a junior college signee—an unusual move in today’s recruiting environment. Of the 22, 12 are on offense, 8 are defensive players, and 2 are athletes. The Cowboys focused heavily on the Midwest and Plains regions, securing players from Texas, Colorado, Iowa, Nebraska, California, Idaho, Illinois, Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri, and, of course, Wyoming.

On offense, Mason Drube stands out as one of the top quarterback recruits entering the Mountain West, and he comes from right in Wyoming’s backyard. Running back Jaden Lawrence adds to the program’s strong history of success at the position. The team bolstered its wide receiver corps with four recruits: Samuel Harris, Pierre Jackson Jr., and Deion DeBlanc, who are smaller targets, a shift from previous years’ bigger receivers. Ke’lyn Washington adds some size. At tight end, the Cowboys signed two strong prospects in Kyle Frendt and Landon Pace, both of whom fit well into the team’s offensive scheme. Additionally, offensive linemen with high potential—Johnathan Bush, Kalvin Janssen, Cooper Lawson, and Tariq Miller—should help the line, with Lawson and Miller expected to contribute earlier.

On defense, the Cowboys signed a range of players to fill various positions. Henry Rehberg will strengthen the defensive line, joined by Axel Ramazani and Cade Brook, who bring length to the edge. Linebacker remains a key position for Wyoming, and Parker Moore and Steven Perez look like strong fits. In the secondary, Elvin Ampofo will likely play safety, while Tyson Deen and junior college signee Bryan Inmon are expected to compete at cornerback. For the athletes, Kaiden Kimble-Turner could also be a secondary player, while Grayson Ridge is more likely to play running back.

Number of December Signings: 22
Early Enrollees: 4
247 Composite Rankings:

• Overall: 91st
• Recruiting: 91st
• Transfer: N/A

The Road Ahead: Top Remaining Targets: RB, DT, LB

Wyoming made strong strides by signing a large class in December, particularly considering the challenges of the season. Under Coach Sawvel, the team has been more active in the transfer portal and has already signed a few players post-Signing Day. However, work remains.

The Cowboys have a running back committed for February, so ensuring that commitment holds is crucial. In addition, they could benefit from adding more interior defensive linemen and possibly another linebacker who can contribute immediately. As always, needs will also depend on who leaves through the transfer portal and which positions need reinforcement. This coaching staff has done a good job identifying needs and seeking out impact players in the transfer portal, so they are expected to continue this approach in the coming weeks.