Logan Wilson (#30, left) will lead the UW linebackers in 2017 after being moved to MLB.
Spring football is in the rearview mirror and Craig Bohl and his staff have posted their post-spring depth chart. The squad is looking pretty good and over the past couple seasons Wyoming has built up sufficient depth at positions they have struggled at in the past.
The defensive line and defensive back positions have been beefed up under Bohl. The Pokes now boast a total of nine upperclassmen at these two position groups. What was once a weakness is now a strength with names like Wingard and Mulauulu starting to hit full stride.
An area where Wyoming is still playing catch-up at is the linebacker position. The graduations of Lucas Wacha and D.J. May who have both been picked up by NFL teams as college free agents has left quite a hole in the Cowboy roster. An additional two linebackers (redshirt freshman Adrian King and Drew Harvey) left the team due to a violation of team rules. These departures don’t help the depth at the position either and have certainly left the Cowboys a little shorthanded.
The Cowboys only have two players who have significant linebacker experience (and Division I linebacker size) in Mountain West Freshman of the Year Logan Wilson (who os moving from OLB to MLB) and Cassh Muluia who played 13 games last year as a true freshman.
Behind those two, the Pokes are lacking overall experience and size at the position. The third linebacker position (on the strong side) is currently projected to be manned by converted defensive backs in Chavez Powell Jr. and UCLA transfer Jalen Ortiz. Both these players weigh in at about 200 pounds.
College football is generally a pass happy game but the Cowboys have struggled to stop the running game allowing over 200 yards per game on the ground that last seven years running. Playing linebackers at 200 pounds isn’t going to improve this weak point and there are not many conference championship worthy defenses allowing that many yards on the ground.
Not all is lost though as Wyoming has three incoming freshmen from the 2017 recruiting class who could make an immediate impact this fall at linebacker.
- LB, Ryan Gatoloai, 6-0, 210lb, Sacramento, California
- ATH, Trey Woods, 6-3, 210lb, North Bend, Oregon
- LB, Davon Wells-Ross, 6-4, 190lb, Omaha, Nebraska
Any of the three players above not only could force their way onto the depth chart but could become a starter at linebacker with a strong summer and fall camp in Laramie. Wells-Ross would be the outsider because of his weight but you never know what type of play-maker he may be. One thing we know is if the young linebackers are good enough they will play because Craig Bohl has shown that in the past. The linebacker position may be inexperienced and thin in terms of depth but that only offers an opportunity for the linebackers in the program to make their mark and earn playing time this fall.