Wyoming recruiting recap from the Mtn

Here are couple videos courtesy of the Mtn. which focuses on the 2010 class for Wyoming. Thank goodness the Mountain West has it's own network or else the MWC would have gotten very little publicity today. ESPNU had eight and half hours of recruiting coverage and most of it was spent talking about the same 10-15 schools. The only non-BCS teams that were mentioned were BYU, Boise, Utah and TCU. And all those schools were mentioned at the very end of the broadcast.

Video #1 - Marius Peyton and Tim Neverrett break down the Pokes recruiting class



Video #2 - Interview with Dave Christensen

Cowboy Chatter: National Signing Day Edition

Here a few articles floating around about Wyoming and their recruits.

• Nehemie Kankolango and Skyler Hinton both enrolled early at UW after finishing their graduation requirements. Here is their story of adjusting to college life.
• Story about QB Sam Stratton and Signing Day schedule at UW.
• WR Drew Martinez signed his LOI at 8a.m. this morning.
• DE Sonny Puletasi could be a steal for the Cowboys.
• BYU could have it's best recruiting class ever.
• CSU has put together a very solid class.
• The Lobos grabbed a four star DT that had previously commited to Tennessee.

Geographical breakdown of Pokes Recruiting

Dave Christensen said when he came in that he would recruit far and wide and was willing to look anywhere for players that fit his mold. Well I would say mission accomplished. Previous Wyoming Coaches steered clear of Utah and just focused on Colorado and couple other nearby states.

The Cowboys even went international with their recruiting this year landing two players that played outside the United States.

Here is a breakdown of each state that every recruiting attended before committing to Wyoming. Some of the JC players went to high school elsewhere but I'm placing based on the college location.

Canada - 1
Nehemie Kankolongo - RB

California - 2
Austin Daniels - DB
Justin Dire - OL

Colorado - 5
Riley Lange - DE
Patrick Mertens* - DL
CJ Morgan - WR
Sam Stratton - QB
Tyler Strong - DT

Germany - 1
Oliver Schober - LB

Illinois - 1
Dylan McElveen - DB

Kansas - 1
Nick Puetz - OL

Minnesota -1
Evan Williams - RB

Missouri -2
Skyler Hinton - OL
Darrenn White - ATH

New Mexico - 2
BJ Sumter - DT
Kurt Taufa'asau - DT

Oklahoma - 1
Sonny Pueltasi - DE

Texas - 2
Marqueston Huff - DB
Emory Miller - QB

Utah - 2
DeJay Lester - WR
Mazi Ogbonna - WR

Washington - 2
Travis Bogard - OL/DT
Daniel Fleischman - OL

Wyoming - 1
Drew Martinez - WR

*walked on last year but earned a scholarship this year

National Signing Day Eve

The commits were all snug in their beds while dreams of Laramie danced in their heads...

Was tempted to throw out some poetry here but that is not my strong suit. We're just a few hours from the official signing of one of the best classes in recent memory. Coaches aren't allowed to officially comment on athletes before they commit so it will be great to finally get some insight from Coach Christensen and his staff.

With so many impact players from the 2009 class how will the 2010 class stack up? This is certaintly a larger class and the staff had the luxury of time when putting it together. Last year there were only a few weeks to assemble to recruits.

The running back situation will be very intersting to watch in the Fall. Alvester Alexander came on strong towards the end of last year. Nehemie Kankolongo is the Pokes top rated recruit this year and has already enrolled at UW this winter. Evan Williams just committed a couple weeks ago but his highlight video is impressing everyone that catches a glimpse.

We'll have a lot more thoughts and analysis tommorow after the class is officially announced.

Cowboys get 25th commitment to 2010 Class

Austin Daniels a 5'10 170lb DB from Mt. SAC (CA) committed to the Wyoming Cowboys for the 2010 season thus becoming the 25th and final recruit. Barring any surprises the Pokes are finished with recruiting two days before the February 3rd signing date.

It's interesting that the Pokes went with a JUCO DB to complete the class. The Pokes already had three DB commits prior to Daniels and the Cowboys are returning all their starters in the secondary next year. I would have loved for the Pokes to grab one more High School Wide Receiver or TE to complete the class.

Daniels finished the year with 55 tackles and 2 interceptions. Though small in stature Daniels is quick with a 4.45 time for the 40. Arizona, Arizona State, Auburn, Baylor, Iowa State, Kansas State and Oregon all had interest in Daniels but it appears that none had officially offered him.

Coach Christensen and his staff have a system they use for recruiting that is different than most schools. So if they like Daniels then I'm glad he is on board. They know the team and where they need to add depth so they must really like Daniels. It is pretty hard to find much on him besides stats. There are no pictures or highlight videos posted on the web of Daniels so he is definitely an under the radar recruit.

Once the full class is finalized and introduced on Wednesday expect a full analysis from Cowboy Altitude. Congrats to the Cowboys staff for having such a successful year recruiting. I doubt they rest much as recruiting for 2011 has already begun.

Video of QB Emory Miller

Emory Miller out of Mesquite, TX (HORN HS) committed to the Cowboys on Monday. Here is some video footage of Miller and his team. Pretty entertaining stuff here, gives you a good feel for him as a person and an athlete.


Find more videos like this on FOX HiLites DFW


Here is the intro video for Horn HS that played on their video screen before every home game. Pretty impressive production value for a high school. Miller is #11.

23 and 24

Wyoming received two more commitments from athletes that visited Laramie over the weekend. These are two key recruits for the Pokes who could help right away in 2010. These commits are #23 and #24 for Wyoming with less than 10 days remaining until the February 3rd signing date. The Pokes are looking sign one more recruit to make their class a NCAA maximum 25 recruits.




QB Emory Miller - Mesquite, TX (HORN HS)

At 5'10 190 pounds Miller isn't the largest QB in the land but that isn't the end of the world. As the Pokes found out with ACS last year good things can come in small packages. Miller is a dual threat QB like ACS and should fit the the offensive scheme better than CJ Bennett who had previously committed to Wyoming.

Bringing in another QB for the Pokes is vital with backup QB Robert Benjamin transferring this semester. Dax Crum would have been the backup QB to start the year and I don't think anyone really wanted that except Crum. QB Sam Stratton has also commited this year but he is coming off a major knee injury suffered in the Fall and will most likely red shirt his first year in Laramie.

Playing in Texas where high school football is life is great for building players that can handle pressure. The Pokes now have four recruits in the last two years who hail from the Lone Star State. Air Force and Navy had also offered.




DT BJ Sumter - Roswell, NM (New Mexico Military Institute)

The Defensive Line was a worry with three starts lost to graduation but things are looking up now. After visiting on Saturday Sumter committed on Sunday. Along with fellow linemen from New Mexico Military Institure Kurt Taufa'asau the D line should be in much better shape in the Fall.

Sumter is originally from Columbia, SC and will have two years of eligibility left when he arrives in Laramie.

Two more recruits on campus this weekend

With three offers left to fill and less than fourteen days DC and his staff are working on finishing up the final touches on the 2010 recruiting class. The Pokes look at sign a QB, DL and DB with their three remaining scholarships. Players that cover two of those three spots will be in Laramie this weekend. GoWyoGo had the scoop on which players were coming to Laramie.

QB Emory Miller from Horn HS out of Mesquite TX. Currently ranked two stars by Rivals.

A dual threat QB listed at 5'10 190 and can run 4.6 for the 40. The Pokes have looked at dual threat and Pro Style QB's this year and I think the former is the way to go. ACS has proven to be tough for opposing defenses to catch and his backup should have the same skill set. In the unfortunate event that an injury occurred to ACS a backup QB with similar abilities would mean the offense could use all the same plays and not have to scale back which could be crucial in a big game.

Rushing			Passing
Year	Att	Yds	TD	PA	PC	Pct	Yds	TD	Int
2009 (Sr.)	166	706	11	333	213	64.0	2,678	22	11
2008 (Jr.)	150	553	12	366	250	68.3	2,740	19	15

Here is a highlight video of Miller with no sound. The first half is mainly QB runs while second half shows off his arm.


Last weekend the Pokes signed Kurt Taufa'asau out of JC New Mexico Mility Institute. While his teammate and fellow linemen Bernard "BJ" Sumter will make the same trip seven days later. Sumter is one big fellow clocking in at 6'2 310 pounds (ding). This would be the perfect recruit to bring in and take the spot of NG Fred Givens who had been a fixture in that spot for three years. Sumter is big and strong with a 405 max bench and 505 max squat.

Here is his highlight video with fat beats included:

Updated Rivals commit list

Rivals came out with their updated 2010 commit list for Wyoming and things are looking up for the Pokes! This class looks even better than the 2009 class that producted several starters last year.

Riley Lange and Mazi Ogbonna were both upgraded to three stars from two. DB Marqueston Huff was previously ungraded and came in at three stars.

New to the list are DT Travis Bogard, OL Justin Dire and LB Oliver Schober. Bogard played on both sides of the ball in HS and it is nice to see that he will be helping out on defense for the Cowboys. He also setup his own site to help his recruiting last Fall.

Wyoming has seven recruits with a 5.4 rating which is just .1 shy of earning three star status.

With 19 spots filled the Pokes have 20 days to fill out their recruiting class with the six spots remaining. Coaches have stated they plan on filling all 25 available scholarships this year.

SIGNED LETTER OF INTENT	Pos	Stars	Ht	Wt	40	RR
Mazi Ogbonna	WR	***	6'1	195	-	5.5
DeJay Lester	WR	**	6'2	200	-	5.4
Nick Puetz	OL	**	6'2	315	5.2	5.4
COMMITTED/UNSIGNED	Pos	Stars	Ht	Wt	40	RR
Nehemie Kankolongo	RB	***	5'11	200	-	5.6
Marqueston Huff	DB	***	6'1	180	4.53	5.5
Riley Lange	DE	***	6'4	230	4.65	5.5
Darrenn White	ATH	***	6'0	180	4.5	5.5
Greg Barksdale	LB	**	6'3	210	4.6	5.4
Travis Bogard	DT	**	6'4	265	-	5.4
Daniel Fleischman	OL	**	6'1	275	5.06	5.4
Drew Martinez	WR	**	6'1	165	-	5.4
Dylan McElveen	DB	**	6'1	185	-	5.4
Sonny Puletasi	DE	**	6'3	215	4.73	5.4
Sam Stratton	QB	**	6'0	185	4.56	5.4
Justin Dire	OL	**	6'0	280	-	5.3
Skyler Hinton	OL	**	6'4	307	-	5.3
Oliver Schober	LB	**	6'0	240	4.57	5.3
Tyler Strong	DT	**	6'3	268	-	5.3
C.J. Morgan	WR	**	5'10	170	4.45	5.2

JUCO DT eyes Wyoming

David Angilau originally commited to BYU in 2007 out of Niwot HS in Longmont, CO. Out of HS Angilau was ranked three stars by Rivals. Instead of heading to Provo, Angilau ended up going the JUCO route and went back to the Bay Area where he grew up and enrolled and City College of San Francisco. In those two years Angilau has packed on 40 pounds.

Listed at 6'2 295 Angilau is able to break 5.0 for the 40. Could be the perfect recruit to step up and fill the vacated Nose Tackle spot that Fred Givens filled so well. Has offers from Eastern Michigan and Western Kentucky. No offer yet according to Rivals but I bet he was one of several recruits that visited Laramie last week.

A member of the Church of Latter Day Saints Angilau has not yet taken his mission but did say he planned to do that after he commited to BYU.

Former Wyoming commit lands at UNLV

Desmond Tautofi (6'4 275) DT/DE verbally commited to Wyoming long ago but was taken off of the Rivals.com commit list last Fall. Rumours had him staying in his native Hawaii to play for the Warriors. Turns out that Tautofi had actually moved to Las Vegas to play for Centennial High School where his brother is a coach. Unfortunately for Tautofi he was declared ineligible by the Nevada Interscholastic Activities Association and never saw the field.

The most likely reason he was ineligible was academics but it never states in this article from the Las Vegas Sun. Now ineligible Cal, Oregon State, Washington and Wyoming all pulled their scholarship offers. Only the Rebels kept their offer on the table.

D Line is a huge need for Wyoming to fill this recruiting year and Tautofi could have been a great addition. But his ineligibility is a cause for concern. If he didn't have the grades to get accepted to Laramie or would have been unable to handle the academic work load that would have been a wasted scholarship.

Hopefully this one doesn't bite the Cowboys later on. UNLV only had one recruit stay over when Bobby Hauck took over but he has done a nice job in bringing in the local talent.

Wyoming doesn't make Spond's Top 3

Danny Spond from Littleton, CO decommited from Colorado back in November after witnessing the sinking ship in Boulder. In December he made a visit to Laramie.

Unfortunately Wyoming did not make the final cut as Notre Dame, Stanford and TCU are now the top options for the QB/LB. Spond plans to visit each campus later this month and should decide by the February 3rd signing period.

If Wyoming had been able to land Spond it would have been a major recruting coup for Dave Christensen and his staff. The Pokes have a solid recruiting class already but landing a big fish recruit like Spond would have made a major statement.

Good luck to Danny Spond. Can't wait to see what does on Saturdays.

Cowboys targeting Utah

This article appeared in the Salt Lake City times back in October prior to the BYU game. Even though it slipped through the cracks doesn't mean it isn't a topic worth talking about. For years Wyoming has stayed away from recruiting in the state of Utah and Latter Day Saints or LDS athletes.

This has been a huge mistake to ignore a state that borders Wyoming and has a population of over 2.7 million. The Cowboys previously said they couldn't compete against BYU, Utah, Utah State plus Weber State and Southen Utah for those athletes. The Cowboys get most of their recruits from Colorado where they compete against Colorado, CSU, Air Force and Northern Colorado. So why not do same in Utah?

By recruiting in Utah the Cowboys can guarantee those athletes that they will play in their home state at least once a year since BYU and the Utes are in the same conference and on a opposite home/away schedule. Wyoming offers a chance to get away from home but still have your friends and family watch you on TV every week thanks to the Mtn.

When recruiting in Utah one aspect that can be difficult for out of state programs is LDS athletes. BYU is always going to get the top LDS athletes followed by the Utes. Wyoming has done a great job in finding under the radar athletes. If those athletes happen to be LDS then so be it. Utah is to close and too big a market for the Pokes to ignore.

The tricky aspect of LDS athletes is always the two year service missions that church members take. Most missions usually start within a year or two of graduation from high school and send the student nearly anywhere in the world. During that time they aren't allowed to do any sport specific workouts or train with the team. However any athlete is still going to mature physically and mentally during that time. That only helps the athlete when they come back to school and have a better perspective on the world. They also don't use any eligibility during that time so if you add the redshirt year an athlete can stick around for up to seven years after signing. Having a roster of 23-25 year olds is a big difference over 19-20 year olds, just ask the Cougars.

Now I'm not saying that Wyoming should recruit 25 LDS athletes every year. That wouldn't make sense and it would never happen. Recruiting in Utah should be a priority and if they happen to be LDS - then great. Only one or two LDS recruits a year is realistic but is better than being completely shutout of that area.

Last year Wyoming recruited WR/DB Alo Moli out of Cottonwood HS in West Valley, Utah. Moli is currently serving his mission and is expected to join the Pokes in 2011.

Wyoming has also started recruiting Polynesian players heavily in Hawaii and the mainland. The Mormon Church has a large foothold in Hawaii and a number of Polynesians that move to the continent are LDS members. Moli falls into this group. A large number ended up moving to Utah from the islands because of the church ties.

Outside Linebackers Coach Mike Fanoga is American Samoan and his main job is recruiting Polynesian players for Wyoming.

In the Salt Lake Tribune article it mentions that Billy Vavau from Utah has commited to the Cowboys. Not sure why but he is no longer listed as a commit on either Rivals or Scout. Wyoming has signed two Junior College Wide Receivers from Snow College in Ephraim, UT this year. One of those players (Dejay Lester) played at Layton Christian Academy in Layton, UT.

Rivals current listing for 2010 football recruits from Utah:

Four Stars - 2

Three Stars - 19

Two Stars - 18

75 total athletes listed

From 2002 - 2008 the Cowboys had ZERO recruits commit from the State of Utah. With a population of that size and the close proximity you think that Glenn could have nabbed one recruit during that time. The two recruits from Snow College will probably the only ones from Utah this year but that now makes three total recruits in two years.

Recruiting in Utah is never going be easy but down the road it should pay big dividends for the Cowboys. It is very hard to break into a state that you have no prior history in recruiting but Coach Christensen and his staff have shown an ability to get recruits from Texas, California, Oklahoma, Missouri and Illinois. They should be able to find some success in Utah over the next few years.

Season Wrapup Article

Nice article from the Laramie Boomerang. Goes over the New Mexico Bowl and the season. Team MVP's and the Seniors that are leaving.

- Ghaali Muhammad has the inside track on Weston Johnson's starting OLB spot. Muhammad has had some huge plays for the Pokes this season including a blocked punt recovery for a touchdown against Texas and a game clinching touchdown against Colorado State.

- Mark Willis could be a starter next year on the D-Line if he can put on some weight. Willis will be a redshirt freshman next year and went to OPRF HS in Oak Park, IL which is my alma mater.

On recruiting it says Coach Christensen is expecting a full class of 25 recruits next season. He says that they already have 19 recruits verbally committed for next year or already signed. Four JC players have signed already and will enroll in January and play Spring ball.

Cowboys add two to 2010 O-Line

Following the New Mexico Bowl victory the Cowboys recieved a verbal commit from OL Daniel Flesichman a 6'7 280 lb recruit out of Issaquah, WA. Hawaii and Wyoming were both vying for Fleischman's services and the big hoss decided to stay in the Lower 48. With his 6'7 frame he should be able to some size and muscle.

According to the North County Times out of San Diego the Cowboys have also gotten the verbal commitment Justin DiRe out of of La Costa Canyon HS. DiRe listed at 6'6 275 and is currently unranked by Scout and Rivals. Should be a nice mix of size and agility that will be great in the spread offense with his ability to block in the second tier.

Amos Anthony Highlight video

Last week the Cowboys signed JUCO WR Amos Anthony a three star recruit out of City College of San Francisco. This video is nearly 10 minutes long but it is certaintly worth checking out. Anthony has some great instincts catching the ball and running after the catch. With all the new talent coming in at the WR position the Pokes should really be able to open up things in the passing game next year.

Pokes sign JUCO Linemen

Nick Puetz a 6'4 315 OL will be a nice addition to the Pokes line next year. Rated two stars by Rivals Puetz should be able to contribute right away for the Cowboys.

The Cowboys signed Puetz as well a WR's DeJay Lester and Mazi Ogbonna yesterday. Check out this article that talks about all three additions.

Cowboys add some beef to the O Line

On Sunday the Wyoming Cowboys landed themselves a large recruit for their 2010 class. OL Skyler Hinton from Rock Bridge HS out of Columbia, MO checks in at hefty 6'4 307lbs. After visiting on December 11th Hinton verbally committed to the Cowboys just two days later.

Currently unrated by Rivals and not covered by any other scouting site Hinton is a late comer to the recruitment process. In third game of of his Junior season Hinton suffered a broken fibula in his left leg and had a metal plate placed in his leg. During the spring he had a second surgery to remove the plate. His freshman year was also cut short with a shoulder injury.

After previously playing left tackle in 2008 he was moved to center for his Senior campaign. No doubt that Coach Christensen's roots at Mizzou helped land this off the radar recruit. The fact that he was coming a major surgery probably scared off several schools but the Cowboys may strike gold if Hinton can stay healthy and does some solid work in the weight room.

Northern Iowa is the only other school to offer Hinton and he has a visited scheduled for December 18th. Will see if he actually makes it up to visit next weekend.

Mister Jones leaves Colorado

Another Colorado Buffalo commit has flown the coop. After Danny Spond decommited from CU others speculated that prep RB Mister Jones from Littleton, CO would do the same. For two weeks Jones said he would honor his commitment to Boulder and join them in 2010.

After visiting the campus of Texas A&M this weekend, Jones decided to verbally commit to the Aggies. A four star talent Jones held offers from Kansas, Colorado and Wyoming. He never visited Laramie.

While the fact that Jones didn't come to Laramie isn't great news. Now that two star commits have decided to look elsewhere is a positive sign for the Cowboys. Only two schools (Wyoming and Air Force) made it to a bowl game this year. This is will only help when recruiting on the Front Range. Obviously momentum is on their side and the stink that is coming from Boulder and Dan Hawkins continues to grow everyday.

Three Star DE on campus today, WR tommorow

DE Frank Gaines out of City College of San Francisco is visiting Laramie today. Gaines a 6'3 250 lb weakeside DE is rated three stars by Rivals and one star by Scout. Last season at CCSF Gaines compiled 30 tackles, 7 TFL and 3 sacks.

Wyoming is currently the only to school offer a scholarship to Gaines. Other schools he has expressed interest include: Arizona State, Cal, Oregon and Washington.

Getting some predeveloped talent on the D Line could be huge for the Cowboys who are losing three starters next season.

In other recruiting news WR Sean Neu from Littleton, CO will be visiting on December 12th. Neu has solid size at 6'2-6'4 but is not a blessed with amazing speed. Neu currently only has an offer from Soth Dakota.