Pokes Practice Report: Laying the Lumber in Laramie

LARAMIE -- Practice No. 3 on the North 40 practice field Wednesday didn't just look competitive, Jay Sawvel said it sounded violent, too.

That's exactly what Wyoming's second-year head coach is looking for from his new-look roster, especially on the defensive side of the ball.

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"We are a much bigger football team at numerous positions," he said, following the Cowboys first workout in shoulder pads. "By all the metrics of what we measure, we are a substantially faster football team than what we were a year ago. So, I think you see some of the impact of that."

Sawvel pointed to senior linebacker Brayden Johnson, who at 6-foot-3 and tipping the scales at 245, is 14 pounds heavier than the man he could be replacing, Shae Suiaunoa. Damashja Harris is 6-foot-2 and weighs 224 pounds. The North Texas transfer is one of five running backs who is listed at 205 or higher.

"We didn't have a practice that sounded like that last year," Sawvel continued. "I don't know when we've had a practice that did sound like that. When we did that inside-run period, that's, I mean, there was some ... it sounded different."

Enock Sibomana, a senior transfer from North Dakota State, made his presence felt early Wednesday, dropping tight end John Michael Gyllenborg a split second after he hauled in a bootleg pass in what appeared to be the open field.

Casper native Cody Crawford also got in on the action, stopping running back Nico Hamilton dead in his tracks behind the line of scrimmage. The 294-pound sophomore defensive tackle beat his man at the point of attack and was awaiting contact.

Safety Jaden DaCosta received a boisterous earful from his position coach, Jason Petrino, after blasting Gyllenborg out of bounds on the perimeter.

The biggest hit of the day, though, belonged to senior Caden Barnett.

The 320-pounder pulled from his right guard spot and got a full head of steam on the edge of the line of scrimmage. The lead blocker put Tyrese Boss in his sights and unceremoniously dumped the redshirt freshman cornerback on his backside.

Both sidelines erupted. The always emotional Barnett did, too.

"It was a banger, a little bit, which is good," Sawvel said. "... It was pretty physical out there today, especially during that inside-run period. There's some wax going on. It was good."

Here's some other news and notes from Wednesday's spirited workout:

* Barnett capped the final hour of practice shirtless with a bag of ice on his right knee. Sawvel said the big Texan was dealing with "tendonitis" and it was a precautionary move. Markie Grant, a redshirt cornerback from Houston, suffered hamstring cramping. Rookie running back Patrick Broadway II missed his second consecutive practice with a hamstring issue of his own. Defensive tackle Alex Haswell (knee), edge rusher Axel Ramazani (Hamstring), wide receiver Jackson Holman (hamstring) and defensive end Jordan Turnbull (Achilles - out for the season) spent the afternoon walking around the perimeter of the practice facility as they continue to rehab. In case you missed it, the Cowboys lost two potential starters to injury in summer workouts. Dante Drake and Caleb Robinson, both nose guards, suffered a torn Achilles tendon.

* Are the Cowboys already preparing for the season opener Thursday, Aug. 28 at Akron? You bet. "We've done a preliminary game plan and a preliminary call list," Sawvel said. "Then, what happens is, you go through camp and see what your players, in reality, really are, you know what I mean? In terms of, OK, what are our strengths? How does that relate to what we may tentatively put together? As far as a game plan, we'll game plan it again, but we've done quite a bit of work on them." The Pokes and Zips are scheduled to kickoff at 5 p.m. Mountain Time on ESPN-Plus.

* Wyoming will take part in its first scrimmage of the fall next Thursday. Another will follow on Aug. 14. While the staff has a good idea of who goes where on offense, things are still sorting themselves out on the other side of the ball. That's no surprise with just one true starter, Tyce Westland, back in the mix in 2025.

* Sawvel said he has been impressed early on with the play of wideout Michael Fitzgerald. The 6-foot-6 graduate transfer from Central Missouri made a number of plays Wednesday, high-pointing throws down the field. "He's a huge target and has got very good hands," Sawvel added. "So, it's been good to see. Now, we'll see. Let's talk about him a month from now."

* Sam Scott, Sawvel said, is full go after missing the spring with a lingering knee issue. The 6-foot-2, 230-pound senior running back certainly looked healthy Wednesday, darting through the line of scrimmage and hitting the edge when needed. "Sam's physically ready to go and, for Sam, you know, it's needed," he added. "There's competition, right? Like if Sam comes out on top and Sam's the back that's carrying 18 to 22 times a game, Sam's going to earn it."

* No matter who gets the majority of the work out of the Cowboys' backfield this fall, production has to be far better than it was during last season's 3-9 campaign. Wyoming amassed just 137.8 yards per game on the ground, ranking 88th overall out of a then-133 FBS programs. That's not how this program rolls. Sawvel said breaking tackles was a major player in a dismal year. The average yards per rush was just 3.6 yards. "The 2024 version of our run game cannot be the 2025 version of our run game," he said. "Like, there's a reason that we got all these guys here now."

* So far, it appears the QB pecking order is: Kaden Anderson, Landon Sims, Gage Brook and Gillette freshman Mason Drube. Sawvel has said since signing day that he doesn't want to rush the latter into game action anytime soon. He's been impressed with the 6-foot-4 Brook. Sims, a transfer from East Central Community College in Mississippi is more athletic than he originally thought he was. "I think this is the best the quarterback room has been since I've been here," said Sawvel, who arrived as the defensive coordinator back in 2020.

* Why the reins on Drube? Sawvel didn't mince words. "We wrote the book on how to destroy a quarterback last year," he said, referring to Evan Svoboda, who was moved to tight end with three games remaining in the regular season. "We put him in a situation where you have a banged up offensive line, no run game, and receivers that were inconsistent. Then tell him, 'go do it.' Then the guy wears the weight of the world on his shoulders, you know what I mean? So, we're going to be really careful and smart (about how we handle Drube)."

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