The Wyoming Cowboys returned to War Memorial Stadium on Tuesday for the first practice of 2019 Spring Drills. A beautiful spring day saw the Cowboys practice for over two hours into the early evening. Leading the way for the Pokes were a group of 13 returning starters -- five on offense, six on defense and the Cowboys’ returning place-kicker and punter.
“It was a good day, and we finished off our first practice strong. I thought we had good competition,” Wyoming head coach Craig Bohl said. “I was particularly in tune watching the quarterback position today. I thought Sean (Chambers) came out and did some good things, so did Tyler (Vander Waal). The younger players are still a little bit of ways away.
“I thought our safeties were moving around pretty good. We’ll take a hard look at the tape, but those are the two spots (quarterback and safety) right now as we move through spring that we have to get some clarification on.
“It was good to see Xazavian (Valladay) do some good things out there (at running back). I also thought we caught the ball pretty good today.”
Chambers and Vander Waal return at quarterback for the Pokes after each starting during the 2018 season. Chambers led Wyoming to wins over Colorado State, in his first career start, and San Jose State. He also started the Air Force game, but was injured on UW’s first offensive series of the game. Vander Waal started the first eight games of the 2018 season. He guided the Pokes to victories over New Mexico State, Wofford, Air Force and New Mexico. Chambers, by virtue of only playing in four games as a true freshman benefitted from the new NCAA transfer rule, which allowed him to redshirt the 2018 season. He enters this spring as a redshirt freshman with four years of eligibility remaining. Vander Waal enters this year as a sophomore with three years of eligibility remaining.
At safety, four-year starters Andrew Wingard and Marcus Epps have graduated. Leading the safety group in 2019 is senior Alijah Halliburton, who started six games last season when Epps was being utilized in a variety of roles in the second half of the season. Also returning is junior free safety Braden Smith. Smith is a two-year letterwinner who played in 24 of 25 games the past two seasons, rotating in at safety some in 2018 and playing a key role on special teams both seasons. Another returner is junior and two-year letterman Esaias Gandy. Gandy like Smith saw a lot of time on special teams and some time at safety, playing in all 25 games over the last two seasons.
Asked what he is looking for from the young safeties vying for the two starting spots, Bohl responded, “Play-making ability, and that may sound like an over simplification, but can they make a tackle in the open field, can they break on the football. They showed the competency to be in the right place at the right time, but it was pretty elementary today.
“Andrew Wingard was great. When he had a play to make in open space, he made it, so did (Marcus) Epps. Whether it is in the passing game or the running game that is going to be critical for us. Now Alijah (Halliburton) played quite a bit last year, and he did some good things.”
Cowboys switching positions
Bohl mentioned on Tuesday a few players who they are looking to move to new positions during 2019 spring practice. Some of those anticipated moves include:
•Senior Tyler Hall is moving back to the cornerback position that he played as a true freshman and sophomore. Hall played a majority of his junior season of 2018 at the nickel back/outside linebacker position, however he did play some cornerback in the second half of last season.
•One player moving into Hall’s previous position of nickel back/outside linebacker is sophomore Keyon Blankenbaker. Blankenbaker appeared in all 12 games as a cornerback and special teams performer during his redshirt freshman season of 2018. He started four games at cornerback in mid-season versus Wofford, Boise State, Hawai’i and Fresno State.
•Redshirt freshman Zach Watts, who started three of the last four games of the 2018 season at left guard, is being looked at as a potential offensive tackle. Watts, like QB Chambers, benefitted from the new NCAA redshirt rule last year. Watts played in only three games, starting in wins at Colorado State, versus Air Force and at New Mexico. He enters the 2019 season as a redshirt freshman with four years of eligibility remaining.
•Sophomore Gavin Dunayski has also been moved to offensive tackle after being slotted at defensive tackle his first two seasons as a Cowboy.
•A couple of young cornerbacks are being given a look at safety this spring. Sophomore Miles Williams, who played in six games on special teams as a true freshman in 2018, is one of those corners being moved to safety. Redshirt freshman Rome Weber is the other. Weber played in the final three games of 2018 on special teams, so like Watts and Chambers was able to still redshirt.
Developing defensive end depth
The defensive end position was another position that Bohl was asked about when meeting with media after Tuesday’s opening practice. The Cowboys of course lost senior defensive ends Carl Granderson and Kevin Prosser after the conclusion of their careers in 2018. Also, 2018 starter Garrett Crall, now a junior, and senior Josiah Hall, who has started games over the past three seasons, will both miss 2019 Spring Practice as they rehab injuries.
“That is going to be a position (defensive end) that is going to be important because we lost some good players there and particularly an impactful player (Granderson),” said Bohl. “I thought Solomon Byrd did some good things today. Divo (Davon Wells-Ross) did some good things, as well as Leevi (Lafaele). Those are some of the guys in the mix right now.”
Injured Pokes
As with every Spring Practice period there are players who are being held out or who will be limited during spring drills due to rehabbing injuries or offseason surgeries.
•Wyoming’s list of players who will be held out of Spring Practice includes: Garrett Crall (Jr. DE); Frank Crum (RFr., OT); Keegan Cryder (So., C/OG); Josiah Hall (Sr., DE); Reow Jackson (RFr., RB); Justyn Stindt (So., WR); Alonzo Velasquez (Jr., OT); and Tim Zaleski (Jr., P).
•Cowboys who will be limited during Spring Drills will be: C.J. Coldon (So., CB); Cassh Maluia (Sr., LB): Gunner Gentry (So., WR); C.J. Johnson (Sr., WR); and Jaylon Watson (Sr., FB).
Senior Leadership
Finally, when asked what it means to have senior leaders returning like Logan Wilson at middle linebacker, Tyler Hall at cornerback and Cooper Rothe, last year’s Mountain West Special Teams Player of the Year at place-kicker, Bohl said, “Those guys are huge. They came to this program many years ago when we weren’t doing great. They’ve invested a lot. They know how to win. I think they know the recipe for success, and it’s going to be important that they lead these younger guys and challenge them. Every day is going to be important. We have 15 days (of Spring Practice) and one of them is done, and we’ve got to get better on this second day (on Thursday).”
Wyoming Football will host two open practices during the spring. The first open practice will be a scrimmage at Dick Cheney Alumni Field in Casper, Wyo., on Saturday, April 13, beginning at 1 p.m.
The Spring Game on Saturday, April 27 will be played in War Memorial Stadium on the UW campus and will of course be open to the public, with a 2 p.m. kickoff. All other spring practices are closed to the general public.
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