LARAMIE — Wyoming will open fall football camp Monday with the first of 24 practices ahead of its season opener at Akron on Aug. 28.
Head coach Jay Sawvel, entering his second year at the helm, returns 11 starters and numerous All-Mountain West performers back for the Brown and Gold. He also added 47 new players during the offseason, including 23 transfers from multiple levels of college football.
The Cowboys return key veterans on offense, including quarterback Kaden Anderson, All-Mountain West tight end John Michael Gyllenborg, and a mix of experienced and young running backs led by Sam Scott. Wide receivers Jaylen Sargent, who earned All-Mountain West honorable mention, and Chris Durr Jr. also return. Nine offensive linemen from last season’s depth chart are back, including All-Mountain West selection Jack Walsh.
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Gyllenborg was Wyoming’s highest-rated tight end by Pro Football Focus and averaged a team-best 47.2 receiving yards per game last season. Sargent led the Cowboys with 480 receiving yards and averaged 20.9 yards per catch. Durr led Wyoming in receptions with 31 as a true freshman, including nine catches against Utah State, the most by a Cowboy since 2018.
Scott rushed for a team-best 435 yards with three touchdowns last season and added 12 receptions for 74 yards and a score. Anderson passed for 955 yards and six touchdowns, earning Manning Award Star of the Week honors after throwing for 342 yards in a win at New Mexico.
Four offensive linemen with starting experience return, including Walsh, Caden Barnett and Wes King, who all earned preseason All-Mountain West recognition. Walsh will play center this season, while Barnett moves to guard.
Defensively, Wyoming brings back senior defensive end Tyce Westland, nose tackle Ben Florentine and defensive tackle Jayden Williams. Westland recorded 41 tackles with six tackles for loss and three sacks last season. Safety Andrew Johnson, a Wyoming native, finished with 30 tackles and started five games.
Florentine posted a career-best 25 tackles in 2024, and Williams added 28 tackles as a redshirt freshman. Caleb Robinson returns after missing last season with an injury but has 43 career tackles.
Wyoming added experience through transfers, including defensive ends Brayden Wilson of Weber State and Chisom Ifeanyi of Florida Atlantic. Wilson, a two-time All-Big Sky selection, has 138 career tackles with 30 tackles for loss and 12.5 sacks. Ifeanyi posted five tackles for loss and 3.5 sacks last season.
The Cowboys have appeared in six bowl games over the past nine seasons, the most in school history.
Earlier this offseason, Sawvel hired three new assistants. Former Wyoming wide receiver and UW Athletics Hall of Famer Jovon Bouknight will coach the receivers after serving as an analyst last season. Deonte Gibson joins from Air Force to coach defensive tackles, and Gary Harrell will lead the running backs after a stint at Colorado.
