Mr. Consistency: Ben Florentine Dominates in the Trenches for the Cowboys

Jeff Bugher
4 days ago
4 min read

Aneesh Vyas: “No One’s Surprised About Florentine’s Success”

Ben Florentine (94). Photo by Ian Cadena, PokesNews.com Staff

LARAMIE, Wyo. – University of Wyoming nose tackle Ben Florentine has become the most reliable Cowboys’ defensive front. At 6-foot-1 and 282 pounds, the senior from Anaheim, Calif., has recorded a sack in every game dating back to last year’s season finale at Washington State for a total of four consecutive sacks.

According UW Media Relations, Florentine is the first interior defensive lineman to have a sack in four-straight games for the Pokes in the Mountain West era of Wyoming football. He ranks third in the MW and No. 14 in the nation in sacks with his three on the season. The last Cowboy to have a sack in five-straight games was Patrick Chukwurah, with his streak running from the 1999 season to 2000.

Through the first three games of 2025, Florentine has posted 10 tackles, including three tackles for loss and three sacks. Just call him Mr. Consistency, Big Ben, or The California Kid.

Head coach Jay Sawvel spoke highly of Florentine’s growth and leadership following Saturday night's tough loss to Utah at War Memorial Stadium.

Head coach Jay Sawvel. Photo by Ian Cadena, PokesNews.com Staff

“I think Ben - you love having Ben Florentine,” Sawvel said. “Ben Florentine came here as a walk-on that weighed 220 pounds, and he plays at 280 now. He’s a heart and soul type of player. You want everybody on your football team to react and play the way that Ben does. Ben’s a great leader.”

Sawvel emphasized that while Wyoming still has room to grow, Florentine embodies the effort and attitude he wants across the roster.

“I’m not sitting there looking for any moral victory. There’s no such thing as that. And there wasn’t one tonight. We’ve got to get better, but I appreciate the spirit and intentionality of everybody, and Ben Florentine is right at the heart of that.”

Evan Eller. Photo by Ian Cadena, PokesNews.com Staff

Florentine’s teammates echoed that same sentiment. Graduate linebacker Evan Eller didn’t hesitate when asked about the impact his nose tackle brings.

“Ben’s a leader of this defense for sure, he’s just a game changer, game wrecker inside,” Eller said. “The heart of our defense is our D line because how they play, the battle is won in the trenches.”

Aneesh Vyas. Photo courtesy of UW Athletics

For defensive tackle and backup nose tackle Aneesh Vyas, Florentine’s success hasn’t been surprising - it’s been expected.

“The simplest thing is… no one on this team is surprised about his success thus far,” Vyas said. “We’re expecting it to keep going. Our D tackle room is incredibly tight. We’re also at a point where any of our top four guys could be in that strong lineup. But we know that he’s [Ben] been the most consistent through spring ball, and through fall camp. He’s never had an off day, and his technique is super elite and consistent.”

Vyas pointed out that both he and Florentine have to rely on perfect technique to overcome size disadvantages, something Florentine has mastered.

“Being able to have him, and he’s told me this too, we’re both, you know, undersized guys when it comes to height,” Vyas explained. “You have to be perfect with your technique. Otherwise, your size is going to hurt you. I think being able to have a guy that works as hard as Ben does in the room has really elevated it for all of us.”

From a 220-pound walk-on to a 282-pound anchor of the defensive line, and with a sack in every game this season, Wyoming’s nose tackle has shown no signs of slowing down.

UW Athletics Biography on Ben Florentine:

2024: Florentine appeared in and started 11 games for the Cowboys. He finished the season with 25 total tackles for a career best. He has 10 solo stops and 15 assisted tackles. He also added three tackles for loss and one sack. He recorded a career-high seven tackles for the Cowboys in a win over Air Force. He added three tackles in games against Idaho, North Texas, Utah State, and Washington State. He added his first career sack against Washington State and added a tackle for loss against Washington State, Boise State, and Idaho.

2023: Florentine participated in the first 12 games of the season. He recorded 11 tackles and enjoyed three contests with multiple tackles. Florentine set his career-high of two tackles against Portland State, a mark he also achieved at Texas and Nevada.

2022: Florentine appeared in two games for the Cowboys. He finished the season with one tackle against Fresno State.

2021: Redshirted during his first season with the program.

High School: Graduate of Servite High School, one of the nation's top programs. He was a First Team All-Trinity League Defensive player. Florentine was a three-year varsity letterman. As a senior in a shortened season, he tallied 26 tackles, including a team-high six tackles for loss.

Personal: Majoring in Construction Management at UW.