Laramie, Wyo. (Feb. 1, 2017) - Building on a season that saw them win the Mountain Division of the Mountain West Conference and play in the 2016 Poinsettia Bowl, the Wyoming Cowboy Football program announced its 2017 recruiting class on Wednesday.
Cowboy head coach Craig Bohl made the announcement of Wyoming's 24 new recruits in a 3 p.m. press conference held in the Wildcatter Stadium Club & Suites at War Memorial Stadium.
This year's class breakdown includes one graduate transfer and 23 high school seniors. The 10 states represented in this year's Cowboy recruiting class include: Wyoming, California, Colorado, Illinois, Nebraska, Ohio, Oregon, Utah, Washington and Wisconsin.
The national letter-of-intent signing period for football began on Wednesday, Feb. 1 and will conclude on Saturday, April 1.
"Our coaching staff is excited about the composition of the 2017 signing class," said Bohl. "We had a plan that was spearheaded by Gordie Haug, our recruiting coordinator. Our coaches worked extremely hard. We not only did evaluations off tape, but we were in these young men's high schools and homes.
"We did extensive academic evaluations, as well as athletic evaluations that included a lot of time spent on-site at high school games watching these young men play.
"Many of these young men are the top individuals that we evaluated at their specific positions. I think we not only met our needs but we exceeded our needs with this class.
"While we try to utilize all the newest technology, including social media and other methods to communicate with and evaluate our prospective student-athletes, we also incorporate a lot of old school approaches in terms of building relationships with high school coaches and parents and other constituents to get to know these prospects.
"At the same time, we try to provide all these young men and their families as much information as we can about the University of Wyoming and our football program, so that they can make the right decision for their futures."
Among the individuals who signed national letters of intent with Wyoming on Wednesday were:
∙Three of the Top 10 ranked recruits from the state of Nebraska;
∙Two of the Top 20 rated recruits from the state of Colorado;
∙Two of the Top 25 ranked recruits from the state of Wisconsin;
∙One of the Top 25 rated recruits from the state of Oregon;
∙Two of the Top 40 ranked recruits from the state of Washington;
∙Five of the Top 85 ranked recruits from the state of Illinois;
∙Three of the Top 175 ranked recruits from the talent-rich state of California;
∙And a two-time Wyoming Super 25 selection in offensive lineman Logan Harris from Torrington, Wyo.
∙Two sets of high school teammates are part of the 2017 Wyoming recruiting class. Keyon Blankenbaker and Jared Scott played together at Oak Park-River Forest High School in Oak Park, Ill. Ryan Gatoloai-Faupula and Victor Jones were teammates at Inderkum High School in Sacramento, Calif.
Offensively, the 2017 class features five offensive linemen, three wide receivers, two running backs, one tight end and one quarterback. On defense, four defensive linemen, three defensive backs and two linebackers. The Cowboys also signed a punter, long snapper and one signee described as an athlete.
Additional information on the 2017 recruiting class, including videos of this year's class is available on the Wyoming Signing Day Central page at GoWyo.com and on Twitter @wyo_football.
2017 Wyoming Football Selected Highlights
∙Patrick Arnold (offensive lineman) was named to All-Nebraska First Team for all classifications by the Omaha World-Herald following his senior season. 247 Sports ranked Arnold as the No. 9 overall recruit in the state of Nebraska for the 2017 recruiting class. Arnold also earned First Team Super State honors from the Lincoln Journal Star in 2016.
∙Keyon Blankenbaker (cornerback) was ranked by 247 Sports as the No. 85 overall recruit in the state of Illinois in the 2017 recruiting class.
∙C.J. Coldon (cornerback) has been ranked as a three-star recruit by Rivals and Scout.com. He was ranked by 247 Sports as the No. 64 overall recruit in the state of Illinois in the 2017 recruiting class.
∙Avante' Cox (wide receiver) was named First Team All-State Class 4A by the Illinois Football Coaches Association in 2016. He was ranked by 247 Sports as the No. 82 overall recruit in the state of Illinois in the 2017 recruiting class. He also was selected to the 81st Annual Champaign News-Gazette All-State Football Team for all classifications.
∙Keegan Cryder (offensive tackle) was ranked by 247 Sports as the No. 19 overall recruit in the state of Colorado in the 2017 recruiting class.
∙Trey Dorfner (running back) earned a spot on the 2017 Seattle Times' Chips List of the top 100 players in the state. He was ranked by 247 Sports as the No. 37 best overall recruit from the state of Washington in the 2017 recruiting class.
∙Gavin Dunayski (defensive lineman) was ranked by 247 Sports as the No. 22 overall recruit from the state of Washington in the 2017 recruiting class. Dunayski was also given a three-star ranking by 247 Sports.
∙Esaias Gandy (safety) was ranked by 247 Sports as the No. 17 overall recruit in the state of Colorado in the 2017 recruiting class. Gandy earned First Team All-State Class 4A from the Colorado High School Activities Association (CHSAANow.com), ColoradoPreps.com and MaxPreps.
∙Ryan Gatoloai-Faupula (linebacker) is rated as a three-star recruit by Rivals, Scout.com and 247 Sports. 247 Sports ranked Gatoloai-Faupula as the 122nd overall recruit in the entire state of California.
∙Logan Harris (offensive lineman) will stay in his home state to play for the Wyoming Cowboys. Harris was named to the Casper Star Tribune Super 25 Team both his junior and senior seasons at Torrington High School.
∙Javaree Jackson (defensive lineman) was ranked by 247 Sports as the No. 23 overall recruit from the state of Wisconsin in the 2017 recruiting class.
∙Victor Jones (defensive end) is rated as a three-star recruit by Rivals, Scout.com and 247 Sports. 247 Sports ranked Jones as the 108th overall recruit in the entire state of California.
∙Jared Scott (wide receiver) has received a three-star rating by Scout.com. Scott was ranked by 247 Sports as the No. 26 overall recruit in the state of Illinois in the 2017 recruiting class.
∙Rudy Stofer (offensive tackle) earned First Team Super State honors for all classifications from the Lincoln Journal Star as a defensive lineman. The Omaha World-Herald selected him First Team All-State, as well. 247 Sports ranked him as the No. 10 overall recruit in the state of Nebraska for the 2017 recruiting class.
∙Xazavian Valladay (running back) earned Special Mention All-State honors from the Chicago Tribune as a senior. He was ranked by 247 Sports as the No. 75 overall recruit in the state of Illinois in the 2017 recruiting class.
∙Tyler Vander Waal (quarterback) has been ranked as a three-star recruit by Rivals, Scout.com and 247 Sports. 247 Sports also ranked Vander Waal as the 174th best overall recruit in the state of California in 2017.
∙Alonzo Velazquez (offensive tackle) has received a three-star rating by Scout.com. Velazquez was ranked by 247 Sports as the No. 12 overall recruit from the state of Wisconsin in the 2017 recruiting class.
∙Davon Wells-Ross (linebacker) was ranked by Rivals.com as the No. 5 overall recruit in the state of Nebraska for the 2017 recruiting class. 247 Sports ranked him as the No. 8 recruit in the state of Nebraska this year.
∙Trey Woods (athlete) was ranked by 247 Sports as the No. 23 overall recruit in the state of Oregon for the 2017 recruiting class.
Cowboy head coach Craig Bohl made the announcement of Wyoming's 24 new recruits in a 3 p.m. press conference held in the Wildcatter Stadium Club & Suites at War Memorial Stadium.
This year's class breakdown includes one graduate transfer and 23 high school seniors. The 10 states represented in this year's Cowboy recruiting class include: Wyoming, California, Colorado, Illinois, Nebraska, Ohio, Oregon, Utah, Washington and Wisconsin.
The national letter-of-intent signing period for football began on Wednesday, Feb. 1 and will conclude on Saturday, April 1.
"Our coaching staff is excited about the composition of the 2017 signing class," said Bohl. "We had a plan that was spearheaded by Gordie Haug, our recruiting coordinator. Our coaches worked extremely hard. We not only did evaluations off tape, but we were in these young men's high schools and homes.
"We did extensive academic evaluations, as well as athletic evaluations that included a lot of time spent on-site at high school games watching these young men play.
"Many of these young men are the top individuals that we evaluated at their specific positions. I think we not only met our needs but we exceeded our needs with this class.
"While we try to utilize all the newest technology, including social media and other methods to communicate with and evaluate our prospective student-athletes, we also incorporate a lot of old school approaches in terms of building relationships with high school coaches and parents and other constituents to get to know these prospects.
"At the same time, we try to provide all these young men and their families as much information as we can about the University of Wyoming and our football program, so that they can make the right decision for their futures."
Among the individuals who signed national letters of intent with Wyoming on Wednesday were:
∙Three of the Top 10 ranked recruits from the state of Nebraska;
∙Two of the Top 20 rated recruits from the state of Colorado;
∙Two of the Top 25 ranked recruits from the state of Wisconsin;
∙One of the Top 25 rated recruits from the state of Oregon;
∙Two of the Top 40 ranked recruits from the state of Washington;
∙Five of the Top 85 ranked recruits from the state of Illinois;
∙Three of the Top 175 ranked recruits from the talent-rich state of California;
∙And a two-time Wyoming Super 25 selection in offensive lineman Logan Harris from Torrington, Wyo.
∙Two sets of high school teammates are part of the 2017 Wyoming recruiting class. Keyon Blankenbaker and Jared Scott played together at Oak Park-River Forest High School in Oak Park, Ill. Ryan Gatoloai-Faupula and Victor Jones were teammates at Inderkum High School in Sacramento, Calif.
Offensively, the 2017 class features five offensive linemen, three wide receivers, two running backs, one tight end and one quarterback. On defense, four defensive linemen, three defensive backs and two linebackers. The Cowboys also signed a punter, long snapper and one signee described as an athlete.
Additional information on the 2017 recruiting class, including videos of this year's class is available on the Wyoming Signing Day Central page at GoWyo.com and on Twitter @wyo_football.
2017 Wyoming Football Selected Highlights
∙Patrick Arnold (offensive lineman) was named to All-Nebraska First Team for all classifications by the Omaha World-Herald following his senior season. 247 Sports ranked Arnold as the No. 9 overall recruit in the state of Nebraska for the 2017 recruiting class. Arnold also earned First Team Super State honors from the Lincoln Journal Star in 2016.
∙Keyon Blankenbaker (cornerback) was ranked by 247 Sports as the No. 85 overall recruit in the state of Illinois in the 2017 recruiting class.
∙C.J. Coldon (cornerback) has been ranked as a three-star recruit by Rivals and Scout.com. He was ranked by 247 Sports as the No. 64 overall recruit in the state of Illinois in the 2017 recruiting class.
∙Avante' Cox (wide receiver) was named First Team All-State Class 4A by the Illinois Football Coaches Association in 2016. He was ranked by 247 Sports as the No. 82 overall recruit in the state of Illinois in the 2017 recruiting class. He also was selected to the 81st Annual Champaign News-Gazette All-State Football Team for all classifications.
∙Keegan Cryder (offensive tackle) was ranked by 247 Sports as the No. 19 overall recruit in the state of Colorado in the 2017 recruiting class.
∙Trey Dorfner (running back) earned a spot on the 2017 Seattle Times' Chips List of the top 100 players in the state. He was ranked by 247 Sports as the No. 37 best overall recruit from the state of Washington in the 2017 recruiting class.
∙Gavin Dunayski (defensive lineman) was ranked by 247 Sports as the No. 22 overall recruit from the state of Washington in the 2017 recruiting class. Dunayski was also given a three-star ranking by 247 Sports.
∙Esaias Gandy (safety) was ranked by 247 Sports as the No. 17 overall recruit in the state of Colorado in the 2017 recruiting class. Gandy earned First Team All-State Class 4A from the Colorado High School Activities Association (CHSAANow.com), ColoradoPreps.com and MaxPreps.
∙Ryan Gatoloai-Faupula (linebacker) is rated as a three-star recruit by Rivals, Scout.com and 247 Sports. 247 Sports ranked Gatoloai-Faupula as the 122nd overall recruit in the entire state of California.
∙Logan Harris (offensive lineman) will stay in his home state to play for the Wyoming Cowboys. Harris was named to the Casper Star Tribune Super 25 Team both his junior and senior seasons at Torrington High School.
∙Javaree Jackson (defensive lineman) was ranked by 247 Sports as the No. 23 overall recruit from the state of Wisconsin in the 2017 recruiting class.
∙Victor Jones (defensive end) is rated as a three-star recruit by Rivals, Scout.com and 247 Sports. 247 Sports ranked Jones as the 108th overall recruit in the entire state of California.
∙Jared Scott (wide receiver) has received a three-star rating by Scout.com. Scott was ranked by 247 Sports as the No. 26 overall recruit in the state of Illinois in the 2017 recruiting class.
∙Rudy Stofer (offensive tackle) earned First Team Super State honors for all classifications from the Lincoln Journal Star as a defensive lineman. The Omaha World-Herald selected him First Team All-State, as well. 247 Sports ranked him as the No. 10 overall recruit in the state of Nebraska for the 2017 recruiting class.
∙Xazavian Valladay (running back) earned Special Mention All-State honors from the Chicago Tribune as a senior. He was ranked by 247 Sports as the No. 75 overall recruit in the state of Illinois in the 2017 recruiting class.
∙Tyler Vander Waal (quarterback) has been ranked as a three-star recruit by Rivals, Scout.com and 247 Sports. 247 Sports also ranked Vander Waal as the 174th best overall recruit in the state of California in 2017.
∙Alonzo Velazquez (offensive tackle) has received a three-star rating by Scout.com. Velazquez was ranked by 247 Sports as the No. 12 overall recruit from the state of Wisconsin in the 2017 recruiting class.
∙Davon Wells-Ross (linebacker) was ranked by Rivals.com as the No. 5 overall recruit in the state of Nebraska for the 2017 recruiting class. 247 Sports ranked him as the No. 8 recruit in the state of Nebraska this year.
∙Trey Woods (athlete) was ranked by 247 Sports as the No. 23 overall recruit in the state of Oregon for the 2017 recruiting class.
