Past Transfers out of Laramie

[WYO1016]

Let's take a look at some of the past transfers. I'll keep it to players that actually played and had an impact in Laramie:

Josh Doctson (2011) - TCU - 1st round draft pick
Kody Sutton (2011) - Southeastern Louisiana - starting RB
Jason Thompson (2013) - Utah - backup safety
Jonathon Kongbo (2015) - Arizona Western then Tennessee - starting DE (included because he was slotted to be a starter in the spring)
Jevon Bigelow (2019) - Fresno state - 4th string RB
Tyler Vander Waal (2019) - Idaho State - starting QB
Jared Scott (2019) - Prairie View A&M then Jacksonville State - backup WR
Chuck Hicks (2020) - Missouri - special teams

That's a grand total of one transfer (so far) that has done better than he would have in Laramie. One. Bigelow could have been a star with Valladay. Instead he's riding the pine. Scott and Neyor would have been a MONSTER tandem. Instead he's bounced around and done nothing. Kongbo was slated to be a star DE. Instead he bounced around and faded into obscurity. Thompson would have been amazing in Bohl's system.

The moral of the story here is that the grass is almost never greener on the other side. We have players transfer out all the time. Granted, this year the transfers are mostly big contributors, but I would expect that only Neyor is going to be better off than he was in Laramie. We were all in college once. We all did some REALLY dumb stuff while there. These kids are no different. I hope that all of these guys prosper in life, but I really don't see them doing better than they would have here.

[bladerunnr]

Vander Wahl also did better. He was never going to see the field in Laramie again. Moreover, we don't know why these kids transferred. All these players came from other states. Perhaps they didn't like living in Laramie or didn't like the school. I think it's fair to say that Laramie is a major change from where they came from.

[OrediggerPoke]

Carta-Samuels was Wyoming’s starting QB and became starter at Vanderbilt.

There’s quite a few transfers missing from this list. Including the WR who recently quit midseason to transfer to Southern Illinois.

Some will succeed and some will realize in short order that they made a terrible decision.

[LanderPoke]

Let's take a look at some of the past transfers. I'll keep it to players that actually played and had an impact in Laramie:

Josh Doctson (2011) - TCU - 1st round draft pick
Kody Sutton (2011) - Southeastern Louisiana - starting RB
Jason Thompson (2013) - Utah - backup safety
Jonathon Kongbo (2015) - Arizona Western then Tennessee - starting DE (included because he was slotted to be a starter in the spring)
Jevon Bigelow (2019) - Fresno state - 4th string RB
Tyler Vander Waal (2019) - Idaho State - starting QB
Jared Scott (2019) - Prairie View A&M then Jacksonville State - backup WR
Chuck Hicks (2020) - Missouri - special teams

That's a grand total of one transfer (so far) that has done better than he would have in Laramie. One. Bigelow could have been a star with Valladay. Instead he's riding the pine. Scott and Neyor would have been a MONSTER tandem. Instead he's bounced around and done nothing. Kongbo was slated to be a star DE. Instead he bounced around and faded into obscurity. Thompson would have been amazing in Bohl's system.

The moral of the story here is that the grass is almost never greener on the other side. We have players transfer out all the time. Granted, this year the transfers are mostly big contributors, but I would expect that only Neyor is going to be better off than he was in Laramie. We were all in college once. We all did some REALLY dumb stuff while there. These kids are no different. I hope that all of these guys prosper in life, but I really don't see them doing better than they would have here.

Excellent break down. The odds are not in your favor if you transfer. Kongbo didn't do much iirc - doesn't even deserve to be called a starting DE.

[NowherePoke]

Let's take a look at some of the past transfers. I'll keep it to players that actually played and had an impact in Laramie:

Josh Doctson (2011) - TCU - 1st round draft pick
Kody Sutton (2011) - Southeastern Louisiana - starting RB
Jason Thompson (2013) - Utah - backup safety
Jonathon Kongbo (2015) - Arizona Western then Tennessee - starting DE (included because he was slotted to be a starter in the spring)
Jevon Bigelow (2019) - Fresno state - 4th string RB
Tyler Vander Waal (2019) - Idaho State - starting QB
Jared Scott (2019) - Prairie View A&M then Jacksonville State - backup WR
Chuck Hicks (2020) - Missouri - special teams

That's a grand total of one transfer (so far) that has done better than he would have in Laramie. One. Bigelow could have been a star with Valladay. Instead he's riding the pine. Scott and Neyor would have been a MONSTER tandem. Instead he's bounced around and done nothing. Kongbo was slated to be a star DE. Instead he bounced around and faded into obscurity. Thompson would have been amazing in Bohl's system.

The moral of the story here is that the grass is almost never greener on the other side. We have players transfer out all the time. Granted, this year the transfers are mostly big contributors, but I would expect that only Neyor is going to be better off than he was in Laramie. We were all in college once. We all did some REALLY dumb stuff while there. These kids are no different. I hope that all of these guys prosper in life, but I really don't see them doing better than they would have here.

A lot of it depends on where someone ends up. Neyor will likely have a similar trajectory to Doctson as he is that good. The other guys it will depend on what level they transfer to. Someone like Vander Waal made a good decision, because he was't really a MWC level starter. I don't know that it will work out that great for someone like Hicks.

[OrediggerPoke]

Let's take a look at some of the past transfers. I'll keep it to players that actually played and had an impact in Laramie:

Josh Doctson (2011) - TCU - 1st round draft pick
Kody Sutton (2011) - Southeastern Louisiana - starting RB
Jason Thompson (2013) - Utah - backup safety
Jonathon Kongbo (2015) - Arizona Western then Tennessee - starting DE (included because he was slotted to be a starter in the spring)
Jevon Bigelow (2019) - Fresno state - 4th string RB
Tyler Vander Waal (2019) - Idaho State - starting QB
Jared Scott (2019) - Prairie View A&M then Jacksonville State - backup WR
Chuck Hicks (2020) - Missouri - special teams

That's a grand total of one transfer (so far) that has done better than he would have in Laramie. One. Bigelow could have been a star with Valladay. Instead he's riding the pine. Scott and Neyor would have been a MONSTER tandem. Instead he's bounced around and done nothing. Kongbo was slated to be a star DE. Instead he bounced around and faded into obscurity. Thompson would have been amazing in Bohl's system.

The moral of the story here is that the grass is almost never greener on the other side. We have players transfer out all the time. Granted, this year the transfers are mostly big contributors, but I would expect that only Neyor is going to be better off than he was in Laramie. We were all in college once. We all did some REALLY dumb stuff while there. These kids are no different. I hope that all of these guys prosper in life, but I really don't see them doing better than they would have here.

A lot of it depends on where someone ends up. Neyor will likely have a similar trajectory to Doctson as he is that good. The other guys it will depend on what level they transfer to. Someone like Vander Waal made a good decision, because he was't really a MWC level starter. I don't know that it will work out that great for someone like Hicks.

Very true as far as where players end up. Some will be surprised that they are just not wanted becuase of the numbers problems most programs are facing with the extra year of eligibility.

I actually think Hicks probably timed the transfer portal better than anyone. He got beat out and so he quit Wyoming (not the kind of player we really want)...but he beat the mass migration to the transfer portal and landed at Mizzou. Had he waited - I doubt he would have many if any P5 offers headed his way.

[PokeNer]

All of the transfers this year are going to be lateral or downward moves, with the exception of Neyor. X and Coldon could maybe see offers from some P5 teams.

This is the scary part about this. It’s obvious these guys aren’t transferring because they have offers from P5 schools and it’s not a playing time issue. It means they’re not happy with whatever is going on internally.

There’s a post out there, supposedly from a former player, discussing the issues behind the curtain. It seems legit and would fit with the small window we have as outsiders. It doesn’t paint a rosy picture of Bohl and it’s possible that some of these transfers are due to the loss of Kaligas.

[LanderPoke]

All of the transfers this year are going to be lateral or downward moves, with the exception of Neyor. X and Coldon could maybe see offers from some P5 teams.

This is the scary part about this. It’s obvious these guys aren’t transferring because they have offers from P5 schools and it’s not a playing time issue. It means they’re not happy with whatever is going on internally.

There’s a post out there, supposedly from a former player, discussing the issues behind the curtain. It seems legit and would fit with the small window we have as outsiders. It doesn’t paint a rosy picture of Bohl and it’s possible that some of these transfers are due to the loss of Kaligas.

I guess B Hill is right then. Got to make some changes to keep players happy.

[cowboyz]

I took a look at the transfers that are listed so far. it seems most transfers are going from one G5 team to another, and in the MWC many are staying in the conference. So I don't think these transfers are all players thinking they'll be big stars on a bigger stage by going to a P5 program. To me, it looks like they just want a better situation, which differs between individuals. It could be playing time, regardless of the level, being closer to home, the weather, the school and location, personality conflicts with present coaches or players, getting "paid", and yes, improving their chances to hopefully catch the attention of the NFL. Here's my take on this list of players:

Josh Doctson (2011) - TCU - 1st round draft pick
- Looks like it was a good move for Josh.

Kody Sutton (2011) - Southeastern Louisiana - starting RB
- He got 30 carries at Wyoming. At SE Louisiana he got to play close to home, in better weather, for a winning team, and escape an a hole coach. Looks like an improvement to his situation.

Jason Thompson (2013) - Utah - backup safety
- He played in only 6 games at Wyo. At Utah he got to play for a winning P5 team, averaged playing in 12 games per season, and escape an a hole coach. Looks like an improvement to his situation.

Jonathon Kongbo (2015) - Arizona Western then Tennessee - starting DE (included because he was slotted to be a starter in the spring)
- Started for an SEC team, got drafted in the first round of the CFL, then was signed by the 49ers, where he was waived due to injury, so went back to play in the CFL. Looks like an improvement to his situation.

Jevon Bigelow (2019) - Fresno state - 4th string RB
- Did okay, but didn't set the world on fire at Wyoming. Looks like he just wanted to go home, seeing as he's from Fresno. Is he still playing? Can't really say if his situation improved, but at least his family and friends could see him play.

Tyler Vander Waal (2019) - Idaho State - starting QB
- I feel it was pretty obvious Tyler wasn't heading to the NFL or even to a P5 team, so he left the uncertainty of where he stood at Wyoming to be "the man" at Idaho State. Not sure what happened after his injury, but he played and performed well his first season up there.

Jared Scott (2019) - Prairie View A&M then Jacksonville State - backup WR
- Jared was only a back up here as well, catching 3 passes over two seasons. But who cares about JSU signing Jared, signing Rich Rodriquez as their head coach shows they're taking the program seriously.

Chuck Hicks (2020) - Missouri - special teams
- Started 5 games in 2 seasons at Wyoming, so I don't believe he went to Missouri thinking he'd be special due to his body of work at Wyoming. It seems he just wanted to play for a bigger program. If that's the case, his situation improved. If he thought he'd be a star, then I'd say it hasn't.

[ELKMT]

Shamiel Gary
ACS
Josh Doctoson


All improved their scenario.


It’s up to the coaches to adapt and that is a good thing.

[LanderPoke]

Lol at the above assessment of kongbo’s career. A career backup on a bad team. CFL? Funny. We have guys in the NFL. I bet komgbo would have flourished here and made at least a NFL practice squad straight of college. Don’t know why it is not apparent by now, but we are really good at developing players.

[ragtimejoe1]

It means they’re not happy with whatever is going on internally.

There’s a post out there, supposedly from a former player, discussing the issues behind the curtain. It seems legit and would fit with the small window we have as outsiders. It doesn’t paint a rosy picture of Bohl and it’s possible that some of these transfers are due to the loss of Kaligas.

Or they aren't happy with themselves and blaming others things.

For the second part, it highlights the problem with social media. Man up, make an accusation, and stand by it. Alleged former player making anonymous accusations (either direct or passive aggressive) is poop.

[Poke in New England]

All of the transfers this year are going to be lateral or downward moves, with the exception of Neyor. X and Coldon could maybe see offers from some P5 teams.

This is the scary part about this. It’s obvious these guys aren’t transferring because they have offers from P5 schools and it’s not a playing time issue. It means they’re not happy with whatever is going on internally.

There’s a post out there, supposedly from a former player, discussing the issues behind the curtain. It seems legit and would fit with the small window we have as outsiders. It doesn’t paint a rosy picture of Bohl and it’s possible that some of these transfers are due to the loss of Kaligas.

Not happy with what is going on internally, yes. But I also imagine there are plenty of people behind the scenes who are willing to get into the ear of a college kid and sell him a bill of goods, convincing him to make a decision that isn't in his best interest. If recruiting is dirty, this new transfer business is filthy.

[cowboyz]

Lol at the above assessment of kongbo’s career. A career backup on a bad team. CFL? Funny. We have guys in the NFL. I bet komgbo would have flourished here and made at least a NFL practice squad straight of college. Don’t know why it is not apparent by now, but we are really good at developing players.

Lol...He started at Tennessee, who were 18-19 while he was there. Not great or good, but one game under .500 isn't exactly bad. It's tough to win in the SEC, but they did beat 4 ranked teams while he was there. Tennessee has way more of their players drafted into the NFL and has many more playing or that have played. He probably made a little north of a $100k in his rookie season in the CFL. The CFL isn't the NFL regarding salaries or competition, but it's second best and he got paid to play a sport. Most of us would love that. He signed a $1.8 million dollar contract with the 49ers after his rookie season in the CFL, but then another injury, the same thing that ended his senior year at Tennessee. He was waived before the season and only received an injury settlement, which they usually don't say the amount, but it's generally a percentage of the first season.

He was a projected NFL draft pick before he got injured his senior season, which also caused him to miss pro day. Leaving the Pokes didn't hurt his chances at a professional career, injuries did, unless playing at Wyoming would have made him less injury prone. He's re-signed with his previous CFL team, Winnipeg, who have also won the past two CFL Championships. If he can get healthy I could see him back in an NFL camp again.

[TrackPoke]

Did Trey Woods and Cameron Smith ever land somewhere?

[OrediggerPoke]

Did Trey Woods and Cameron Smith ever land somewhere?

I thought Trey Woods quit football.

[LanderPoke]

Lol at the above assessment of kongbo’s career. A career backup on a bad team. CFL? Funny. We have guys in the NFL. I bet komgbo would have flourished here and made at least a NFL practice squad straight of college. Don’t know why it is not apparent by now, but we are really good at developing players.

Lol...He started at Tennessee, who were 18-19 while he was there. Not great or good, but one game under .500 isn't exactly bad. It's tough to win in the SEC, but they did beat 4 ranked teams while he was there. Tennessee has way more of their players drafted into the NFL and has many more playing or that have played. He probably made a little north of a $100k in his rookie season in the CFL. The CFL isn't the NFL regarding salaries or competition, but it's second best and he got paid to play a sport. Most of us would love that. He signed a $1.8 million dollar contract with the 49ers after his rookie season in the CFL, but then another injury, the same thing that ended his senior year at Tennessee. He was waived before the season and only received an injury settlement, which they usually don't say the amount, but it's generally a percentage of the first season.

He was a projected NFL draft pick before he got injured his senior season, which also caused him to miss pro day. Leaving the Pokes didn't hurt his chances at a professional career, injuries did, unless playing at Wyoming would have made him less injury prone. He's re-signed with his previous CFL team, Winnipeg, who have also won the past two CFL Championships. If he can get healthy I could see him back in an NFL camp again.

Tennessee sucked. Had like a 6-18 conference record when he was there. He didn’t play a ton . Victor jones had better stats this year than kongbo had in three. He would have shined here and would have had gaudy stats and had more attention due to those stats. He blew his opportunity.

[laxwyo]

Its safe to say that the future was bright for Kongbo here in Laramie.

I do think if you're a borderline draftable talent that you might be better served to play in the MW than somewhere else. That way you can rack up the stats. I guess it all depends on the systems the team runs. If you're a borderline draftable RB, Wyoming is a good spot. That's why Hill and guys like Sony Michele get drafted and give themselves a decent career. As much as I want Hill to succeed, I don't really think he's some kind of super NFL talent that's waiting to emerge. He did well to rack it up in college and get drafted. Kudos to him

[OrediggerPoke]

Its safe to say that the future was bright for Kongbo here in Laramie.

I do think if you're a borderline draftable talent that you might be better served to play in the MW than somewhere else. That way you can rack up the stats. I guess it all depends on the systems the team runs. If you're a borderline draftable RB, Wyoming is a good spot. That's why Hill and guys like Sony Michele get drafted and give themselves a decent career. As much as I want Hill to succeed, I don't really think he's some kind of super NFL talent that's waiting to emerge. He did well to rack it up in college and get drafted. Kudos to him

I’m confused. Sony Michel played at Georgia and was a first round NFL draft pick and made more money in his rookie contract than Hill ever will. For running backs, the rookie contract is so important.

[laxwyo]

Its safe to say that the future was bright for Kongbo here in Laramie.

I do think if you're a borderline draftable talent that you might be better served to play in the MW than somewhere else. That way you can rack up the stats. I guess it all depends on the systems the team runs. If you're a borderline draftable RB, Wyoming is a good spot. That's why Hill and guys like Sony Michele get drafted and give themselves a decent career. As much as I want Hill to succeed, I don't really think he's some kind of super NFL talent that's waiting to emerge. He did well to rack it up in college and get drafted. Kudos to him

I’m confused. Sony Michel played at Georgia and was a first round NFL draft pick and made more money in his rookie contract than Hill ever will. For running backs, the rookie contract is so important.

Sorry, I was thinking of Rashaad Penny.