Sawvel implementing new approach to recruiting at Wyoming
LARAMIE — The University of Wyoming football team signed 21 players on Wednesday’s early signing day.
"The Cowboys’ early signing class consists of 20 high school seniors and one junior-college transfer. Sawvel will likely recruit a handful of players in the transfer portal, but he’s shifting his primary focus away from recruits from a power conference.
“For the fans, they’re going to see transfers that we add that they’ll be like, ‘Well, where’s that school at?’” Sawvel said. “We’re going to largely live outside of the power conference transfer market. … A big part of it goes back to when I talked to (Arizona State coach) Kenny Dillingham earlier in the fall, and one of the things he said helped flip their roster the most was getting people on the come up.
“Get people on the rise, because they love it, they can’t wait to be in your program, they can’t wait to be in your building, and they’re excited to be in the program, as opposed to somebody that comes in with a sense of entitlement or that they feel like this is a step down for them. I’m not interested in that guy.”
“A couple years ago, a lot of people got excited about a couple basketball transfers from UCLA and USC. That didn’t work out, either. So, it’s going to be one of those things. We’re going to find 105 people that ride for the brand.”
This is not news. Wyo has never been able to land "name" transfers--maybe Waylee--but note the framing of such transfers as having "a sense of entitlement." I predicted many of these remarks a few weeks back particularly the "ride for the brand" cliché that only the naïve still buy (what is the brand anyway?). Strangely, Dillingham didn't seem to be put off by such entitlement...now it's from the basement to the playoff in one year...
I hope it all works out. The "brand" bucked my a$$ off this season. The rebuild has begun and will last for the next_____years. Perhaps some talented player from Kent State or The Citadel or similar shines here. But they likely have better options than a 3-9 team. What this tells me is that Sawvel isn't worried in the least about turning this around quickly. Of course not. He has all the time he needs to get us to mediocrity. Accountability in Laramie is a dirty word. That's why they never make any remotely bold predictions. The Wyoming Way.
