Welcome to Wyoming Football: Gabriel Ikechukwu
LARAMIE -- Wyoming has welcomed nearly 50 new faces this offseason.
Transfer portal era, am I right?
Jay Sawvel knew a rebuild on defense was in order after losing both starting linebackers and safeties, along with leaders like Jordan Bertagnole and DeVonne Harris. The departures of Wrook Brown, Sabastian Harsh and Keany Parks only magnified things.
The second-year head coach got busy, inking a dozen transfers on that side of the ball on February's traditional signing day and adding three more since the annual spring game.
On offense, the damage was limited.
Yes, running back Harrison Waylee is now at Virginia. Young wideout Justin Stevenson is a Utah Ute now, too. But if you ask Sawvel, he kept the players he wanted on offense, beginning with quarterback Kaden Anderson.
Three of the Cowboys' top linemen -- Jack Walsh, Caden Barnett and Wes King -- are also back. So is tight end John Michael Gyllenborg, wide receivers Chris Durr Jr. and Jaylen Sargent, along with leading rusher Sam Scott.
So, without further ado, let's spent the summer meeting the new players that litter this 2025 roster:
NAME | Gabriel Ikechukwu
YEAR | Freshman
HT/WT | 6' 2", 260
HOMETOWN | Houston, Texas
POSITION | Defensive tackle
JERSEY NUMBER | N/A
PREVIOUS SCHOOL | Cypress Ranch High School
YEARS OF ELIGIBILITY | Four
NOTABLE | As a senior at Cypress Ranch High School, Ikechukwu chalked up 33 tackles, including 6.5 for loss, and 2.5 sacks, earning All-District honors in the highest district in Texas, the 6A Conference. He tallied 10.5 tackles for loss and 3.5 sacks as a junior.
QUOTABLE | "Really good prospect. I wanted to make sure that we were always going to try to over-sign and have more players on the defensive line and the offensive line, you know, because those are areas that are much more difficult to obtain in transfer portals. I think that, looking at that, that was a big reason why we were able to sign him. I think he's a good player with a big upside. He's only played football for three years, and I really, really like the way -- the story -- of why he got into football," -- Jay Sawvel on his new rookie in the trenches
WELCOME TO WYOMING FOOTBALL SERIES:
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* Tuck's Take: Wyoming won today's Brown and Gold Spring Game
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* Wyoming loses starting cornerback to transfer portal
* Wyoming's Dante Drake has been a menace in the trenches
* Cowboys plan to add another QB after Batiste departure
* Wyoming's rookie corner is turning heads this spring
* Double or nothing: Pokes' makeshift front five falters late
* Wyoming looking to add to roster with spring portal looming
University of Wyoming’s Top 50 Football Players
Gallery Credit: 7220Sports.com
- University of Wyoming’s Top 50 Football Players