Safety Brooklyn Cheek Brings Energy and Physicality Into 2026
- Jeff Bugher
- Jul 22
- 6 min read
LARAMIE, Wyo. - California and Wyoming are about as opposite as states can get. That’s why Brooklyn Cheek didn't expect to find a place that reminded him of home more than 1,200 miles away from California.
After beginning his college career at Cal, the University of Wyoming safety entered the transfer portal in late 2024 looking for something different. That’s when Wyoming came calling.
"I love it out here," Cheek said of his time in Wyoming so far. "It actually reminds me a lot at home. I'm from like a smaller town, Oakdale, California. I like the people and I’ve made some of the best friends."
Cheek grew up in a small agricultural community, and life in the Bay Area never quite felt like the right fit.
"I'm not like a huge city guy, so it was definitely something different - being right in between Oakland and San Francisco," Cheek said. "It was a lot of everything kind of on top of each other, but I didn't dislike it. I liked the people there. I liked the coaches, but I was kind of out of my comfort zone being in a bigger city. I wanted to look for something more like home, and I found it here."
Cheek was sold on Laramie during his recruiting visit.
"I automatically fell in love with it [Laramie] and it wasn't as cold, so I wasn't 100% ready for that," Cheek joked. "I just automatically loved it out here."
A Welcome to College Football - Brooklyn's First Start
Cheek redshirted during his lone season at Cal before transferring to Wyoming ahead of the 2025 campaign. He appeared in 11 games for the Cowboys, making one start and recording eight tackles, including a career-high four against San Jose State.
That first start against San Jose State University in 2025 is one he'll never forget.
"It was awesome," Cheek said. "It was a great game too. My first time playing actual defense was against San Jose last year, and that was a game that came down to the very last play."
The atmosphere at War Memorial Stadium that night left a lasting impression on Brooklyn.
"It was a super cool atmosphere. It was kind of my welcome to college football moment when we're going into the third quarter, and I think it was tied and, they're playing that song over the high altitude warning, and I was like,’ yeah, this is where I want to be. I don't ever want to leave the field again.’"
The Pokes scored 21 points in the fourth quarter to win the game against SJSU, 35-28.
First Game of 2026 is the Border War
When Cheek got to Laramie in early 2025, he wasn't very familiar with Wyoming's rivalry against Colorado State. Yet, he became very familiar, very quickly.
"That means everything," he said of the Bronze Boot rivalry. "When I first got here, I didn't know much about the rivalry being from California, but I was automatically let know that it is a huge thing here. Like people don't even wear green here sometimes."
It didn't take long for his competitive nature to embrace the rivalry.
"I understood quickly and, I saw videos and stuff with the boot, and I'm a super competitor and I just, all I wanted to do was take it."
Safety Wasn’t First
Ironically, Cheek's football career didn't begin in the secondary.
"My first position I ever played was actually tight end," he said. "When I was a little kid, I wore number 87 because of Gronk; he was my favorite player."
He remained at tight end and defensive end through middle school before a growth spurt made him pliable for even more positions in football.
Cheek tells PokesNews.com that he became a wide receiver when he got skinny in 8th grade.
Cheek was primarily a receiver until midway through his sophomore year of high school when an injury forced him to play cornerback.
"That was really my first time ever playing corner. I got used to it fast and figured it out."
The position change ultimately set him on a path to play at the D1 collegiate level.
"The rest is history," Cheek said. "I've fallen in love with playing safety and just being on defense and coming down and hitting people."
Learning From Veteran Leaders
Transitioning to a new program wasn't difficult thanks to veteran teammates who helped him settle into Laramie
.
"I would say last year, Andrew Johnson [Safety] was definitely a guy that took me under his wing."
A fellow Californiaite helped make the transition easier.
"Another person is Jackson Holman [WR]. We both moved out here at the same time. We are both from California originally, so we connected right away."
What can Wyoming Fans See from Cheek on the Field?
"Just a flashy guy," he said when asked what fans can expect. "I love to be around the ball every single play. That's my goal."
Safeties coach Jason Petrino has been guiding the group throughout spring practice and into fall camp.
"At the beginning of spring ball, our coach, Petrino, was challenging us to either be around the ball, tagging someone off, or giving the guy a high five that made the tackle."
Cheek has taken on the challenge.
"Every single play, my goal is to either be a part of the tackle or at least right there."
Petrino has also helped Cheek increase his football IQ.
"He’s a super smart guy," Cheek said. "He knows all the ins and outs of football and he's taught me so much about football that I didn't even know. I didn't even know what a five technique was until I got here, if I'm being honest."
Growing Into a Leader
Phil Steele has Brooklyn projected as the likely starter at the strong safety position this fall alongside Jones Thomas. On the cusp of a bigger role, Cheek is beginning to take on more leadership in Wyoming's secondary.
"A little bit," he said. "I'm still technically like one of the younger guys, but I don't like to think about it like that.”
"I try to be a leader and try to like be the energy guy. That's one thing I always try to do."
Cheek focuses on improving every day.
"Just continue to get better. I don't think there's such a thing as a ceiling when it comes to football. I think you just keep getting better; you can keep getting smarter. I just want to elevate my game as much as possible before the season. Bigger, stronger, all of that."
Overtime
Cheek is majoring in communications and said his dream job is to become a sports broadcaster. “Not many other things I would really plan on doing."
Away from football, the California native enjoys fishing and golf, though he admits he's still adapting to Wyoming's trout streams after growing up bass fishing.
And when the offseason gives him a chance to satisfy a craving, the destination is already picked out.
"I love In-N-Out," Cheek said. "There's no In-N-Out in Wyoming, but I'll drive down to Loveland and get it."
His order?
"A triple-triple, which is just a double-double, but three patties instead, and get it animal-style and some animal-style fries. Then a strawberry vanilla shake. That's my go-to."
Double Overtime
Just for fun, PokesNews.com asked Brooklyn hypothetically what position he would play if he were given the opportunity to switch positions…and why?
"Definitely wide receiver. Go back to my roots," he said with a laugh. "I think I'm above average for DB at receiver."
Actually not far from reality, as Cheek caught approximately 900 receiving yards as a wide receiver in high school during his senior year, he even joked about following the path of two-way star Travis Hunter.
"I might have to go talk to Coach and have him move me," he said jokingly.
About the Author:
Jeff Bugher is a third-generation Wyomingite living in Casper. He is a sportswriter and Wyoming Cowboys/Cowgirls enthusiast who is a member of the Football Writers Association of America (FWAA ) and the National Sports Media Association (NSMA). Jeff's work has been cited by Sports Illustrated, one of the world's leading sports publications.
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