Wyoming's first foray into recruiting Cedar Rapids Xavier High School went well enough for the Pokes to try it again, this time targeting 6-foot-3, 270-pound defensive tackle/end Daniel Vega.
The All-Stater is committed to Illinois State currently, but a recent call from the new coaching staff at Wyoming has Vega re-thinking his commitment enough to officially visit Laramie on January 17th with his high school teammate and current Wyoming commit, Cole Turner.
"I had not really heard anything from Wyoming, but I know (Wyoming Coach Craig) Bohl really liked me at North Dakota State State and he figured I was good enough to play at the highest level. He called me up and offered me a scholarship and I am definitely interested and want to visit. Cole had gone to a camp before and he said he really liked it.
"It is DI (FBS) and I haven't gotten any other DI offers, so it is a place I want to visit. It is the Mountain West, so it is good competition. If it is the right fit, great. If it isn't then I don't have any intentions of going anywhere but Illinois State, because I like the coaches so much."
From his defensive end position, Vega led the team with 60 tackles, 19 of those for a loss and six were sacks. Vega's awards mantle is nothing short of full after being named the the All-State Elite team by the Des Moines Register and the Iowa Newspaper Association. The Cedar Rapids Gazette named him the Metro Defensive Player of the Year over his high school teammate and Iowa commit, Matt Nelson.
"I think my thing is pass rushing," Vega said. "I am a good pass rusher. I am pretty good at one-on-one hand fighting."
Vega's offer list includes Wyoming, Illinois State, North Dakota State, North Dakota, South Dakota, South Dakota State, and Western Illinois.
Currently, Vegas is a commitment to Illinois State and former Wyoming Defensive Coordinator Brock Spack. The staff also includes secondary coach Cody Deti, former Wyoming Cowboy defensive back and the grandson and son of the legendary Laramie coaches bearing the name John Deti. Vegas said it was his relationship with the coaches that made him feel at home.
"The first time I visited Illinois State, I felt like I was at home," Vegas said. "The atmosphere was great and the coaches were really nice people. I went and toured most of the buildings a player would be at and they were really nice. It felt like the right fit for me."
Wyoming is hoping Vega finds a similar feeling when he visits Laramie. He said he will be talking to Turner about Wyoming, although he said Turner hasn't worked too hard to pressure Vega into thinking about Wyoming.
"We talked about it a little bit, not a whole lot," said Vega. "He doesn't really like to talk about football unless someone brings it up. I asked him about it. he said he liked it and he thought it would be pretty neat to have someone to drive home with for Christmas break and the other breaks.
"I just want to see what the campus is like, the facilities and I hear those are all really nice. I am an outdoorsman. If the coaches don't show me the scenes and whatnot, I would want to check them out myself. I have heard Wyoming is pretty cool."
Daniel Vega
The All-Stater is committed to Illinois State currently, but a recent call from the new coaching staff at Wyoming has Vega re-thinking his commitment enough to officially visit Laramie on January 17th with his high school teammate and current Wyoming commit, Cole Turner.
"I had not really heard anything from Wyoming, but I know (Wyoming Coach Craig) Bohl really liked me at North Dakota State State and he figured I was good enough to play at the highest level. He called me up and offered me a scholarship and I am definitely interested and want to visit. Cole had gone to a camp before and he said he really liked it.
"It is DI (FBS) and I haven't gotten any other DI offers, so it is a place I want to visit. It is the Mountain West, so it is good competition. If it is the right fit, great. If it isn't then I don't have any intentions of going anywhere but Illinois State, because I like the coaches so much."
From his defensive end position, Vega led the team with 60 tackles, 19 of those for a loss and six were sacks. Vega's awards mantle is nothing short of full after being named the the All-State Elite team by the Des Moines Register and the Iowa Newspaper Association. The Cedar Rapids Gazette named him the Metro Defensive Player of the Year over his high school teammate and Iowa commit, Matt Nelson.
"I think my thing is pass rushing," Vega said. "I am a good pass rusher. I am pretty good at one-on-one hand fighting."
Vega's offer list includes Wyoming, Illinois State, North Dakota State, North Dakota, South Dakota, South Dakota State, and Western Illinois.
Currently, Vegas is a commitment to Illinois State and former Wyoming Defensive Coordinator Brock Spack. The staff also includes secondary coach Cody Deti, former Wyoming Cowboy defensive back and the grandson and son of the legendary Laramie coaches bearing the name John Deti. Vegas said it was his relationship with the coaches that made him feel at home.
"The first time I visited Illinois State, I felt like I was at home," Vegas said. "The atmosphere was great and the coaches were really nice people. I went and toured most of the buildings a player would be at and they were really nice. It felt like the right fit for me."
Wyoming is hoping Vega finds a similar feeling when he visits Laramie. He said he will be talking to Turner about Wyoming, although he said Turner hasn't worked too hard to pressure Vega into thinking about Wyoming.
"We talked about it a little bit, not a whole lot," said Vega. "He doesn't really like to talk about football unless someone brings it up. I asked him about it. he said he liked it and he thought it would be pretty neat to have someone to drive home with for Christmas break and the other breaks.
"I just want to see what the campus is like, the facilities and I hear those are all really nice. I am an outdoorsman. If the coaches don't show me the scenes and whatnot, I would want to check them out myself. I have heard Wyoming is pretty cool."
Daniel Vega
