Wyoming Cowboys

Recruiting Analysis

February 20, 2008

Season Report Posted: June 20, 2010 23:55  

Honestly, I could not be happier with the results of this recruiting season. Experts tabbed ours the 27th best class, but that is due mostly to the low number of recruits we signed, nine. The next smallest class among the top 50 is Rutgers with 12, and the Scarlet Knights ended up with the 37th ranked class. Seven of our nine recruits were either 4- or 5-star, and only 18 schools had more than that. I am excited that we filled all of our needs, and with very quality players.

We got four potential playmakers on offense, including a huge boost to our ground game in Ulrich. On defense, we got a star in the making in Nick Horne, and three other very good players. Every recruit has a place on the team, and should help us continue at our current level of success for years to come.

Top Ten Recruiting Classes
1. Ohio State
2. Fresno State
3. North Texas
4. LSU
5. Notre Dame
6. Florida State
7. Miami
8. Texas
9. Tennessee
10. UCLA
27. Wyoming

MWC Recruiting Classes (nat'l ranking)
1. Colorado State (19)
2. Wyoming (27)
3. New Mexico (40)
4. Utah (71)
5. UNLV (74)
6. San Diego State (80)
7. Air Force (92)
8. BYU (113)

Wyoming Recruits -
Recruits Signed - 9
Class Rank: 27th
*****: 3
****: 4
***: 1
**: 1
*: 0

***** -
#3 HB Dominic Ulrich - 6'0" 220 - Speed - Chamberlain, SD -
4.31 40 - 330 Bench - 485 Squat - C+ Hands - 2.18 GPA
84 OVR - 92 SPD - 63 STR - 40 AWR - 61 CAR - 64 BTK
What a beast, and a quick one at that. Ulrich has it all, the toughness to pound the ball up the middle, and the speed to break it outside for a big gain. Already the best back on the roster, he will only get better as he splits time with and learns from senior Terence Billings.

#3 TE Carnell Jones - 6'5" 235 - Balanced - Anderson, IN
4.82 40 - 340 Bench - 545 Squat - A Hands - 2.50 GPA
74 OVR - 71 SPD - 65 STR - 76 CTH - 53 PBK - 63 RBK
Even though we already had three tight ends on the roster, Carnell was too good a talent to pass up. He should make an immediate impact on the team, and could be a star before he graduates.

#3 WR Kyle Dukes - 6'2" 219 - Speed - Bloomington, IL
4.37 40 - 265 Bench - 365 Squat - 40.1" Vertical - B+ Hands - 2.23 GPA
80 OVR - 89 SPD - 50 STR - 44 AWR - 79 CTH - 87 JMP
Kyle is another in a long line of impressive wide receivers to commit to Wyoming, and should see plenty of time on the field this year.

**** -
#32 CB Nick Horne - 6'2" 180 - Coverage - Regina, CN
4.39 40 - 235 Bench - 385 Squat - 35.7" Vertical - C+ Hands - 2.23 GPA
71 OVR - 88 SPD - 38 AWR - 90 AGI - 61 CTH - 54 TAK
Nick has great speed for a cornerback, but is not as aware on the field as we would have hoped. He won't start immediately, but will make a good nickel back, and should easily be a two year starter before he graduates.

#32 WR Dennis Wright - 6'5" 176 - Balanced - Harbour Point, WA
4.60 40 - 210 Bench - 410 Squat - 39.2" Vertical - B Hands - 2.95 GPA
70 OVR - 79 SPD - 42 STR - 53 AWR - 75 CTH - 89 JMP
We really liked Dennis for his size, strength and intelligence, but he is a little on the slow side, and doesn't catch quite as well as we'd hoped he would. With five other receivers on the roster, Wright will probably redshirt, but could develop into a dangerous possession guy down the road.

#14 LT John George - 6'4" 293 - Balanced - Sierra Vista, AZ -
5.24 40 - 695 Squat - 430 Bench - 2.36 GPA
76 OVR - 80 STR - 79 PBK - 84 RBK
George was one of those linemen that we didn't really need, but whom we simply couldn't pass up. He is an excellent blocker, and will push Oliver Hunter for substantial playing time.

#11 FS Jonas Golden - 6'0" 214 - Balanced - San Luis, AZ
4.56 40 - 270 Bench - 495 Squat - 39.8" Vertical - B+ Hands - 2.45 GPA
77 OVR - 86 SPD - 48 AWR - 85 AGI - 65 CTH - 65 TAK
We really like Jonas, both for his speed, and his tackling skills. He has better raw talent than Tony Hickman, and it will be hard not to start him immediately.

*** -
#18 SS Corey Fowler - 6'2" 197 - Balanced - Vacaville, CA -
4.67 40 - 345 Bench - 560 Squat - 38.1 Vertical - C+ Hands - 2.36 GPA
73 OVR - 79 SPD - 48 AWR - 79 AGI - 59 CTH - 73 TAK
Corey was another very promising safety recruit. Though not as fast as Jonas, he might never miss a tackle, and will push Charley Fitzgerald hard for playing time.

** -
#83 LE Brian Webster - 6'6" 249 - Pass Rusher - Fox Farm, WY -
5.05 40 - 445 Squat - 335 Bench - 2.09 GPA
64 OVR - 57 SPD - 64 STR - 40 AWR - 62 TAK
Webster needs to put on some weight get acclimated to the speed of the college game, but could be a very solid player down the road, though he'll likely redshirt this fall.

* -
None

Top Recruits: Ulrich, Horne, Jones
Biggest Losses: Davis ( CB, #2, Nebraska), Reese ( DT, #2, Cal)

Recruiting Outlook

January 14, 2008

Season Report Posted: June 20, 2010 23:55  

Though not quite as big as last year, our interest list is still quite impressive, with 72 players listing Wyoming as one of their top three schools. Given that we only have 12 scholarships to offer, that is a decently impressive number. Equally impressive is the number of blue chip recruits on the interest list, nine.

We are most impressed with four guys, the number three recruits at wide receiver, tight end and halfback, and the number eight cornerback. Amazingly, there are seven halfbacks interested in Wyoming, as well as a truckload of offensive linemen, which is unfortunate, given that we signed six linemen last year and don't really need any big boys up front. Still, several of them are awfully tempting, and it will be hard to pass them up.

We are targeting 12 players total, fairly even spread among the positions. Four are blue chip recruits, and all but two of the others are players. All have at least high interest in the program, which leads the staff to think we could have a pretty decent success rate.

Week 1:
For the fourth consecutive year, we received just one commitment in the first week. Fortunately, it was a good one, a cornerback named Nick Horne, who graded out slightly faster than initially projected. Like last year, all of our other targets remain on the board, and all but one have us among their top three schools. No new recruits will be targeted. (Horne)

Week 2:
Two very good players signed with us this week, though none at positions we really needed. We added a beastly receiver in the mold of Raheem Wesley in Dennis Wright, and finally got our blue chip tight end, Carnell Jones out of Anderson, Indiana. Jones will likely team up with sophomore Dante Dukes to decimate defenses in two tight end sets. We lost two targets this week, the stud cornerback to rival Nebraska, and a monster halfback in Henry Jones, who decided to stay near home, and signed with Oregon. (Jones, Wright)

Week 3:
The Dukes family continues its run at a dynasty at Wyoming, as there are now three Dukes cousins on the team. With the addition of blue chip wideout Kyle Dukes, our stable of talented receivers continues to grow. We also got a committment from an impressive looking free safety by the name of Jonas Golden out of Arizona. We lost the stud left guard we wanted, but we can't be too upset, since we have four guards returning this fall. More disappointing is the loss of defensive tackle Elijah Reese, who probably could have started at Wyoming, but decided to stay home and committed to Cal. All four of our remaining targets list Wyoming as their top school, including the number three halfback in the nation. (Dukes, Golden)

Week 4:
Hell yeah. We got the third rated halfback in the country, Dominic Ulrich out of Chamberlain, South Dakota. He is faster and stronger than we originally thought, and looks to have incredible potential. This kid is going to be a workhorse for four years, if he stays that long. Just getting Ulrich would have been enough to make the week a success, but we got three other committments as well, all of whom seem to have high potential. We nabbed a great looking tackle from Sierra Vista, Arizona in John George, and picked up a very promising safety in Corey Fowler. We also signed a solid left end in Wyoming product Brian Webster. (Ulrich, George, Fowler, Webster)

Week 5;
We have three scholarships still available, but with no targeted players left on our board, I essentially gave the staff the week off. We would have liked to nab another defensive tackle to give us some depth there, but we'll make do with what we've got. (None)

Position Evaluations

January 14, 2008

Season Report Posted: June 20, 2010 23:49  

We graduated 11 players this season, most of whom were starters for at least part of their careers at Wyoming. Fortunately, our continued success has allowed us to stockpile decent depth at most positions, so we find ourselves with only four absolute needs, and 12 available scholarships.

From a personnel perspective, our biggest losses were at quarterback, where all-everything Kenneth Wingate graduates after starting for four years, middle linebacker, where we lose stud David Boyer, and at free safety, where four year starter Scott Potts graduates. However, quarterback and middle linebacker are two of our strongest positions, so we won't likely recruit anyone there. Our biggest need is the secondary, where we need two safeties and a cornerback, so we will focus our efforts in that area, and try to improve on our depth at other positions.

A position-by-position breakdown:

Quarterback
We lost four year starter Kenneth Wingate, but both Ryan Cochran and Alan Ingram are more than capable of starting, and since both have toiled in Wingate's shadow the last two years, we won't target anyone here until next year.

Running Back
Former walk-on Johnny Connor graduated with the school record for career yards, but two capable backs return. Since Billings will be a senior, we hope to recruit an inside bruiser to replace him next year.

Wide Receiver
Both Kirkpatrick and Wesley tested the draft waters, but decided to return for another year, leaving the wide receiver group intact. Knowing Kirkpatrick will graduate next year, and anticipating that Wesley will again consider going pro, the staff will attempt to recruit two capable players here.

Tight End
All three tight ends return, but only Dukes is much of an offensive threat. If we can somehow interest a true blue chip tight end, we'll take him. Otherwise, the existing group will do.

Offensive Line
For the first time in as long as I can remember, we are both deep and talented on the offensive line. We really have no need here.

Defensive Line
We lost two starters to graduation, so the staff hopes to find a left end and a defensive tackle interested in signing on, but we could make do at end for another year. At tackle, we could really use the extra body.

Linebackers
We lost one of the best linebackers Wyoming has ever seen in David Boyer, but his backups appear poised to step into a starting role. We could use some depth in the middle, and a true left outside linebacker on the roster, but the staff is generally pleased with our returning players.

Secondary
We lost three starters in the secondary, including four year starter Scott Potts. All three positions have solid backups who would be capable starters, but we need to find two backup safeties and a fourth cornerback.

Special Teams
No need.

Players Leaving

QB Kenneth Wingate - 93 OVR - Wingate was one of the best quarterbacks to ever don a Cowboys uniform, at a school known for its high powered passing offense, which says a lot about his ability. What says even more are the three school records he set during his impressive four year career. His performance has attracted very solid replacements, but his leadership will be missed.
HB Johnny Connor - 71 OVR - For a former walk-on, Connor had a great career at Wyoming, finishing with the school record for career rushing yards, while splitting time at tailback with Terrence Billings.
LE Zach Wilcox - 82 OVR - Zach is another former walk-on who really made an impact at Wyoming. While his career statistics are not overwhelming, he had at least 20 tackles every year, finishing his career with 95 total tackles, 37 tackles for loss and 23 sacks.0
DT Malcolm Hooks - 73 OVR - Malcolm is a huge kid - 339 pounds - and was an excellent space clogger for his two years as a starter.
MLB David Boyer - 79 OVR - 195 TKL, 60 TFL, 14 SCK, TD
FS Scott Potts - 80 OVR - 214 TKL, 22 INT, 40 DFL
FS Matt Spivey - 71 OVR - 85 TKL, 5 INT
SS Solomon Swift - 72 OVR - For the first three years of his career, Swift labored in the shadow of standout Herbert Holland, playing primarily on special teams. He shone as a senior, recording 60 tackles, and four interceptions, earning him 2nd Team All-American honors.
CB CJ Rollins - 72 OVR - 76 TKL, 16 DFL, TD
CB Drew Gaines - 66 OVR - 55 TKL
P Mark Long - 79 OVR - 172 PNT, 7015 YDS 5063 NET YDS