Sawvel Pleased with Progress as Wyoming Turns Focus to Akron

Running back Damashja Harris practices drills during fall camp. Photo courtesy of UW Athletics

The grass practices are officially in the books as the team now focuses on Akron, while continuing the camp feel for the rest of the week. Wyoming head coach Jay Sawvel said Sunday marked the Cowboys’ final workout on the North 40 practice fields before the full shift to Akron preparations begins this week.

“It’s our last one on the grass today,” Sawvel said. “We start to transition to Akron full-time tomorrow with meetings and things like that. Then we’ll practice throughout the rest of the week. I thought we had a really good day today. I thought we’ve had a couple really good days in a row work-wise and we’re in a good spot.”

Sawvel noted steady progress across the board, particularly at quarterback. “Quarterbacks have been sharp,” he said, adding that he’s been encouraged by wide receiver Eric Richardson’s return after missing the spring with an injury. “It’s good to see a guy like Eric Richardson start to do more and more things … he’s kind of finished his spring practice with a number of practices now.”

The first-year head coach also highlighted Wyoming’s young talent. “I’m really encouraged with a freshman group that … keeps getting better right now. A lot of times freshmen in camp start to flatten out and right now I see certainly Tyson Deen and Dion DeBlanc and Sam Harris for sure playing for us. But I see a number of other guys that could be in that four-game to play — that’s Steven Perez, Parker Moore, and Cade Brook. And then there’s some encouragement beyond it.” Some of those players will be playing in just four games this season, therefore not burning their redshirt status.

Injuries and Depth

Health has been a consistent storyline in Laramie over the years, but Sawvel said his team is in a relatively good place.

“Right now we have a pretty healthy football team,” he said. “Brayden Johnson rolled his ankle yesterday. He missed practice today. He’ll be practicing on Wednesday. He’s fine, there’s not an issue there. Other than that, we’ve got all the receivers back, all the O-linemen are practicing full.”

Two players remain sidelined a bit longer. Offensive lineman Quinn Grovesteen is working back from a bone bruise, tight end Jake Wilson had a cyst removed from his knee.

“The only one that would be maybe a couple-week injury right now is Jake Wilson,” Sawvel explained. “He’s probably looking at two to three more weeks, just in terms of the incision to heal and the swelling to be gone and the movement to come back.”

Defensive end Esaia Bogar, meanwhile, is expected to play despite a hand injury. “He’s got a broken bone in his hand. They’re gonna put a screw in it…tomorrow. He should be casted and be ready to play.”

Building Physicality

Sawvel has emphasized toughness since spring ball, and he believes it’s taking hold.

“I see a better physicality, a better intent to be physical up front,” he said. “At the end of the day, I want to win games, period. I appreciate winning the Washington State game 15-14, but really I want to win that game 35-14. One of the options we always have to have at Wyoming is we’re going to line up and we’re going to hit you in the mouth. That has to be one of our options.”

To drive home communication and urgency in Sunday’s practice, Sawvel added some noise to the mix. “We cranked music up throughout practice today when we were in team periods because you had to make sure people were communicating on the field,” he said. “It changes your level of urgency when you have to really have urgency to communicate and you have to when it’s harder to hear. That’s why I think practice was good today.”

Quarterback Room Strongest Yet

Perhaps the most encouraging sign for Wyoming’s offense is what Sawvel sees at quarterback. Obviously, Kaden Anderson is the leader of the pack.

“Landon Sims has done a lot of really good things,” he said. “The thing that I’ve been impressed with the most is he’s a far better athlete than what I would have initially guessed. He has a good arm. Take the ball that he threw last week in the scrimmage to Brycen Brantley — that was a beautiful throw. Hit a guy for a 58-yard touchdown and he hit him in stride.”

Beyond Sims, Sawvel said the overall depth is the best he’s seen. “That room is the best that it’s been since I’ve been here. When you watch one set to the next set to the next set of a new quarterback go in, balls are being completed, balls are being thrown where they need to be thrown. That’s been really encouraging.”

Freshman Mason Drube may not see the field right away, but Sawvel sees promise. “Mason Drube is going to be good. He’s going to be really good,” he said.

Outlook

With less than two weeks until the season opener, Sawvel likes the progress but knows the real test is still ahead.

“There’s a lot of good things. We’ve got a lot of work to do,” he said. “But I’m encouraged by the progress we’ve made and I’m confident that when it’s time to kick off, this group’s going to be ready to go.”

• Practice & Transition

  • Last practice on grass, shifting focus fully to Akron prep starting tomorrow.

  • Believes the team has strung together multiple good practices.

  • Saw sharp quarterback play and strong overall development.

• Player Development

  • Encouraged by Eric Richardson returning from injury and making progress.

  • Freshman group showing growth instead of the usual fall camp “flattening out.”

    • Mentioned freshmen likely to play: Tyson Deen, Dion DeBlanc, Sam Harris, Steven Perez, Parker Moore, Cade Brook.

• Injury Updates

  • Brayden Johnson: rolled ankle, expected back Wednesday.

  • Quinn Grovesteen: bone bruise in knee, a couple weeks out.

  • Jake Wilson: cyst removed from knee, out 2–3 weeks.

  • Esaia Bogar: broken bone in hand, procedure planned, expected to play with a cast.

• Depth Chart & Roster Outlook

  • Coaches meeting tomorrow to finalize pieces of depth chart.

  • Some decisions may extend until after Friday’s practice.

  • Stressed that depth chart spots can change throughout season due to improvement.

  • Team currently “pretty healthy” across most positions.

• Practice Intensity & Urgency

  • Full pads, highly physical practice.

  • Used loud music during team drills to force communication under pressure.

  • Wants a strong sense of urgency heading into game prep.

• Position Groups

  • O-Line: More depth and experience; interior line (King, Barnett, Walsh) trusted and steady.

  • Tight Ends: Improved depth, unlike last season.

  • Wide Receivers: Progressing, more playmakers than last year.

  • Running Backs: Deep group with versatility.

  • Defense: Tyrese Boss currently best corner; expects Ian to step up more.

  • DL/OL Freshmen: Promise in young groups, encouraging for future.

• Physicality

  • Team is tougher and more physical than last year.

  • Wants balance: not just pounding the ball inside but also attacking perimeters.

  • Emphasized Wyoming must always maintain a “hit you in the mouth” option.

• Quarterbacks

  • Kaden Anderson is the top man.

  • Landon Sims praised for athleticism, strong arm, leadership.

  • Freshman Mason Drube seen as a future talent.

  • QB room described as strongest it has been since Sawvel arrived.

  • Encouraged by development and camaraderie within the group.

    
    

• Overall Outlook

  • Excited about team progress and depth compared to past seasons.

  • Believes both sides of the ball can improve production.

  • Confident in team’s readiness for Akron and the 2025 season.

Don't forget to sign up for our email list, and follow us on our socials!

Subscribe to receive our newsletter here (no spam, we promise): Subscribe

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pokesnews

X (formerly known as Twitter): https://x.com/Pokes_News