LARAMIE -- Craig Bohl said his staff would be nimble and ever evolving as it attempts to navigate the choppy waters that is now the new norm in college football.

Wyoming's 10th-year head coach will be the first to tell you he won't be building his program through the NCAA Transfer Portal, but even he realized it was time to mix it up. He did just that with traditional signing day less than 24 hours away.

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Bohl and the Cowboys are expected to ink a pair of high school players Wednesday to full-ride scholarships -- Brandt Rice and Jones Thomas -- but are also adding former Vanderbilt wideout Devin Boddie Jr., Holy Cross receiver Ayir Asante and Navarro Junior College cornerback Tyrecus Davis. The school announced an additional three scholarship players: offensive linemen Nathan Geiger and Kuba Tyszka along with running back Tyler Jacklich.

These eight players will join Wyoming's early signing class, which featured 13 prep players and former Northern Illinois running back Harrison Waylee.

"I can tell you, every year is unique," Bohl said Dec. 21 during his initial signing day press conference. "The NCAA has allowed some windows for portal recruiting that were not there last year. The lay of the land is changing -- extensively. We've been actively vetting and watching players and I can tell you what, they come in and some of them are out pretty fast ... Some of the guys that we were able to add to our football team last year really were not added until after the first of the year."

Linebacker Cole DeMarzo (Michigan State), quarterback Evan Svoboda (Snow College), quarterback Andrew Peasley (Utah State) and cornerbacks Jakorey Hawkins (Ole Miss) and Deron Harrell (Wisconsin) all signed last February. So did the highest-ranked recruit in program history, four-star offensive lineman DeShawn Woods along with long snapper Carson York.

 

MORE SIGNING DAY STORIES:

* Tyrecus Davis picks UW over conference foes SJSU, CSU

* Former Vandy wideout commits to Wyoming

* Wyoming football announces early 2023 signing class

* Explosive, physical edge rusher heading to Laramie

* Did Wyoming find its QB of the future?

* Wyoming moved quickly when Harrison Waylee hit the portal

* Wyoming inks 'dynamic' three-star cornerback on early signing day

* Where are all the local Wyoming recruits?

* Bohl: Expect blend of prep, portal players at UW

 

Wyoming will also welcome a handful of preferred walk-on's Wednesday, including a number of local prospects in Casper defensive tackle Cody Crawford (Natrona County), Gillette wide receiver Kayden LaFramboise (Thunder Basin) offensive tackle Abraham Bangoura from Laramie, Star Valley defensive lineman Lucas Chappell and Casper's Jevon Davis, a defensive back from Kelly Walsh, who suited up the last three seasons at Black Hills State.

Lafai Purcell (Frederick, Colo.), nephew of former Wyoming standout and current Denver Broncos' nose tackle, Mike Purcell, will also sign his letter of intent to join the program

Those six will join fullback Kaden Shouse (Highlands Ranch, Colo.), defensive lineman Jaxon Galica (Oshkosh, Wisc.), offensive lineman Wyatt Walters (Aurora, Colo.), along with defensive end Jordan Turnbull (Evergreen, Colo.), tight end/ fullback Cooper Mailand (Dallas, Texas), safety Miles Tucker (Pleasanton, Calif.), linebacker Brady Hultman (St. Charles, Mo.), offensive lineman Dante Gavito (Fort Lupton, Colo., via Fort Lewis College) and defensive back Daylen Wilson (Pasaden, Calif.).

Defensive end Ethan Day (Modesto Junior College) also announced he would be heading to Laramie as a PWO.

 

MEET THE NEW GUYS

* Brandt Rice, 6-foot-5, 285 pounds, Wausau, Wisc. 

This big offensive lineman is the fifth-ranked recruit out of the state of Wisconsin, according to recruiting website, 247sports.com. Rice received offers from 19 different schools out of West High School, including Mountain West foes San Jose State and Air Force. Other FBS programs -- Army, Eastern Michigan, Kent State, Ohio and Western Michigan -- also wanted him. Rice, who played on both lines of scrimmage in high school, is listed as a three-star recruit.

 

* Jones Thomas, 6-foot-2, 180 pounds, Fort Collins, Colo.

According to MaxPreps. com, Thomas recorded 114 tackles -- more than 10 stops per game -- and picked off four passes last fall at Poudre High School. Thomas was named the Conference Defensive Player of the Year and, for the second consecutive season, earned First Team All-Conference honors. Also a track star, Thomas was an All-State honorable mention. Black Hills State, Colorado State-Pueblo, Chadron State and Colorado Mesa also offered.

 

* Devin Boddie Jr., 5-foot-11, 175 pounds, Vanderbilt

Coming to Laramie with three years of eligibility remaining, Boddie caught just 32 passes for 324 yards during his career in Nashville. The speedy wideout from Shreveport, La., had his best season in 2021, snagging 29 balls for 263 yards and a touchdown. A three-star prospect out of Whitehaven High School, Boddie racked up 2,300 receiving yards and 45 touchdowns during his prep career, including 34 grabs for 577 yards and seven scores while leading his team to the 6A state championship game. Boddie also received official offers from Virginia, Louisville, Cincinnati, Western Kentucky, Georgia Tech, Arkansas State and Tulsa out of high school.

 

* Tyrecus Davis, 5-foot-10, 180 pounds, Navarro Junior College

Wyoming was in desperate need of help on the outside. The Cowboys think they found an answer with this Texas cornerback, who will have two seasons of eligibility remaining. Davis earned SWJCFC All-Conference Second-Team honors after tallying 32 tackles and picking off two passes in 10 games last fall. He also broke up eight attempts. During his three-year career at the Corsicana, Texas school, Davis intercepted five passes and batted down 13 balls. He added two forced fumbles. Davis also received offers from Mountain West foes Colorado State and San Jose State, along with UTEP, Texas Southern and Eastern Kentucky, among others.

 

* Ayir Asante, 6-foot, 179 pounds, Holy Cross

During his four-year career at Holy Cross, this graduate transfer wideout hauled in 117 passes for 1,722 yards and 16 receiving touchdowns. The New Jersey native also returned kickoffs for the Crusaders, rolling up 485 yards on just 26 attempts. That's an average of nearly 19 yards per return. During his true freshman campaign, Asante hauled in a career-high 48 passes for 701 yards and six touchdowns. That season included a pair of 100-yard games, including a 144-yard, two-touchdown outing against Colgate. He also caught 11 balls for 119 yards in a win over Fordham. Those numbers twice earned him Patriot League Rookie of the Week honors. Asante also returned 14 kickoffs for 282 yards that season and was named a Hero Sports Honorable Mention Freshman All-American.

 

* Tyler Jacklich, 6-foot-3, 205 pounds, Modesto, Calif.

Jacklich is rated as a three-star recruit by 247 Sports as a running back. His senior season at Central Catholic High School in Modesto, Calif., he was selected as the NorCal Offensive Player of the Year and ranked No. 3 in the state of California in rushing, with 2,278 rushing yards on 201 carries and scored 32 touchdowns. Jacklich was honored as an All-State running back by both MaxPreps and CalHi Sports.

 

* Nathan Geiger, 6-foot-5, 265 pounds, Highlands Ranch, Colo.

Geiger was named a Second Team All-State Class 5A selection as an offensive lineman in 2022 at Thunder Ridge High School in Highlands Ranch,Colo., as presented by CHSAANow.com, ColoradoPreps.com and MaxPreps. Class 5A is the largest classification in the state of Colorado.

 

* Kuba Tyszka, 6-foot-6, 275 pounds, Norridge, Ill.

Tyszka played offensive tackle and defensive end for Ridgewood High School in Norridge, Ill., in the Chicago metropolitan area. In 2022 Tyszka helped lead the Rebels to the first round of the Illinois High School Association (IHSA) Class 4A State Playoffs. A multi-sport athlete, Tyszka threw the discus and shot put and qualified for the 2022 IHSA Class 2A State Championships in the shot put after finishing second in the IHSA Sectionals.

 

 

EARLY SIGNEES

Harrison Waylee                        RB        5-10     192       Jr.      Johnston, Iowa (Northern Illinois)

 

High-School Signees (13)

(Listed Alphabetically)

 

Name                                      Pos.      Ht.       Wt.      Class      Hometown (Last School)               

Kaden Anderson                       QB        6-4       205       Fr.      Southlake, Texas (Southlake Carroll)

Ian Bell                                     CB        6-1       180       Fr.              La Verne, Calif. (Damien)

Bricen Brantley                          WR       6-3       175       Fr.      Houston, Texas (Ailef Taylor)

Chauncey Carter                       CB        6-0       175       Fr.      Garland, Texas (Garland)                

Jake Davies                               OT        6-7       250       Fr.      Yorkville, Ill. (Yorkville)

Dante Drake                             DT        6-3       267       Fr.      Robinson, Texas (Robinson)

Quinn Grovesteen-Matchey       OT        6-6       240       Fr.      Evansville, Wis. (Evansville)

Naz Hill                                     CB        6-3       180       Fr.      Kankakee, Ill. (Kankakee)

Keany Parks                              RB        6-1       180       Fr.      Kenosha, Wis. (Bradford)

Lucas Samsula                           DT        6-4       255       Fr.              Plano, Texas (Plano West)

Justin Stevenson                       WR       6-1       175       Fr.              Katy, Texas (Paetow)

Tell Wade                                 DE        6-3       250       Fr.              Wray, Colo. (Wray)

Jayden Williams                         DT        6-3       270       Fr.              Bryan, Texas (Rudder)

Stay tuned to 7220sports.com for all the latest signing day news out of Laramie.

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