Taylor column: eight takeaways from this year's MW Media Days

LARAMIE — July marks the unofficial start of talking season for college football.
Players, coaches and media members gathered for two days during this week’s Mountain West Media Days in Las Vegas, with plenty of chatter from all 12 teams in the conference about the upcoming season. Preseason polls and an All-MW list were released to kick off the event at the Circa Resort.
The University of Wyoming was picked sixth in this year’s preseason poll, despite having a conference-high five players named to the All-MW team. The projected finish for the Cowboys stems from the team’s lack of offensive consistency, most notably in the passing game.
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Boise State, the projected No. 1 team in the conference, was the biggest media target in Vegas. Air Force, Fresno State, San Diego State and San Jose State were all picked ahead of the Cowboys in this year’s poll.
Craig Bohl, who’s going into his 10th season as UW’s coach this fall, doesn’t mind walking out of Las Vegas with the modest expectations of being picked in the middle of the pack.
“The pundits out here picked us in the middle. That’s OK,” Bohl said Thursday. “We’ll lay in the weeds. I think there’s some really good promise with this team.”
With talking season now underway, here are eight of the biggest takeaways for the Cowboys going into fall camp.
1. Peasley is confident
It was no secret Andrew Peasley was learning a whole new offense going into his first season with the Cowboys last fall. After spending four years in Utah State’s pass-heavy offense, Peasley spent all of last year adjusting to UW’s pro style as the team’s starting quarterback.
Peasley’s struggles a year ago were well documented. He threw for just 1,574 yards at a 52.4% completion rate, with just 10 touchdowns and nine interceptions. UW’s passing offense was ranked No. 125 in the country out of 131 teams with an average of 132.2 yards per game.
Peasley has heard the noise about the team’s stale passing offense. Still, his confidence is at an all-time high going into his final year of college football.
The Cowboys have a date with Texas Tech at home to open the season in September. Peasley doesn’t look at the season-opener as a game UW can just compete in. He thinks it’s a game the Cowboys can win.
“Texas Tech has to come to Laramie,” Peasley said. “I think they’re a tempo team, so, they’re going to be tired. I don’t know how you prepare for elevation when you’re not living in it. I think we’ll have an advantage there. I think Laramie is going to be rocking, too.”
2. It’s Gibbs’ last year
Easton Gibbs was asked multiple times about playing in the shadows of former Cowboys Logan Wilson and Chad Muma. While he admires the comparisons to both the current NFL linebackers, he was adamant he is his own player with his own identity.
Listed as a junior, Gibbs said this will be his final season in Laramie. He’ll likely try to make the transition to the NFL next year after being named the MW preseason defensive player of the year.
Gibbs was a monster on UW’s defense last year, leading the team in tackles with 121. While he does have his own style at the linebacker position, the one thing that connects him to both Wilson and Muma is his loyalty to both Laramie and the state of Wyoming.
After his breakout season, Gibbs could have easily sought out a roster spot at any other school in the country. But like Wilson and Muma, he chose to finish what he started right here with the Cowboys.
“I heard whispers,” Gibbs said. “You have some guys reaching out, saying to do this and this and this. For me, like I said from the beginning, I don’t think it really mattered. For me, it was never really in the question to leave this program. It’s been my home for four years now.
“Going into this year, I was really excited. I didn’t even really have to make a decision. I was not in the portal. I never thought about being in it. It’s crazy stuff, good and bad, but I was always here to stay. This is my home.”
3. Bohl is comfortable
Bohl is soon to be 65 years old, but still feels comfortable with his energy level going into his 10th season with the Cowboys. With his contract set to expire after the 2024 season, his focus is on this season and this season alone.
“What I think is important is for me to evolve on the changing landscape of college athletics, particularly football,” Bohl said. “The term ‘old school’ would probably fit pretty well with my DNA. As a result, some of the things that I traditionally believed in, good or bad, those things have changed some.
“What cannot happen is for our program to get outside what I call the goal posts. For me, there’s gotta be some things that I need to be comfortable with as we migrate through (Name, Image and Likeness) and the transfer portal. … I also know there’s not a lot of 65-year-old coaches out there. There’s some that are doing pretty good. I think coach (Nick) Saban’s still rocking. I start looking at the guys who are my age and doing it, and some of them have been removed, and some of them have removed themselves. That’s not where I want to be.”
4. Waylee will miss time
Incoming Northern Illinois transfer Harrison Waylee will miss ‘”the first couple games” of the season after having offseason knee surgery, Bohl said. The running back led the Huskies last year with 899 yards and five touchdowns.
With the departure of starting running back Titus Swen, the Cowboys will likely lean on Dawaiian McNeely to start the season. The junior ran for 356 yards last fall on 63 carries, including a long of 61 yards.
The good news on the injury front is the recovery of D.Q. James, who had a season-ending knee injury toward the tail end of last season. James’ recovery is on track going into fall camp, Bohl said.
5. Kolbey Taylor has impressed
Spring ball is the perfect time for a player to impress the coaching staff before the starting rotations are set. Kolbey Taylor looks to be the perfect example of that, earning the praise of both Bohl and his teammates during MW Media Days this week.
Taylor saw very limited action at cornerback a year ago, totaling just three tackles. But the buzz around Laramie is that the 6-foot-4 defensive back has the ability to be a lockdown corner for the Cowboys this fall.
“Kolbey’s stepped up big time,” Gibbs said. “I think we really needed a leader in that room, and I don’t know if anyone really thought he’d be that guy. But watching spring ball, he really stepped up. He’s a vocal leader in that room, which is what we needed in that secondary.”
6. O-line could be thin
One of Bohl’s biggest concerns going into the season is a potential lack of depth on the offensive line. The Cowboys graduated starters Zach Watts and Eric Abojei and lost Emmanuel Pregnon to the transfer portal, but will return center Nofafia Tulafono, tackle Frank Crum and tackle Jack Walsh.
Crum was named to this week’s preseason All-MW team, alongside Gibbs, defensive tackle Jordan Bertagnole, defensive end DeVonne Harris and kicker John Hoyland.
Caden Barnett and Wes King were both listed as starters on UW’s depth chart that was released at Media Days. Barnett played in 12 games a year ago, while King will be seeing his first college football action.
“The offensive line is always going to be a really important piece for our football team,” Bohl said. “We’re feeling really good about it. We’ll have a couple new guys with some who have played some, and we’ll have a new guy who hasn’t played much at all. But we feel good about that.
“Their weights are all up. We don’t have as much depth as we’d like, but I think it can be a strong suit for us.”
7. D-line is stacked
The Cowboys could have easily had three defensive linemen named to the preseason All-MW team, but had to settle for two with nose tackle Cole Godbout being left off the list. Still, the unit is set up to be one of the best in MW.
“The guys in front of me, we’re loaded,” Gibbs said. “That whole D-line, it’s going to be really fun playing behind them. I can’t complain about that at all. It makes my job a whole lot easier.”
As far as Godbout being left off the preseason list, Gibbs think that’ll act as some additional fuel going into the season.
“He’s been playing great football his whole career,” Gibbs said. “I don’t think any of us guys are too focused on the preseason stuff, but more on the postseason. More than that, getting this team to where we need to be this year. He’ll definitely have some fire coming in, though. It’ll be good.”
8. An experienced group
UW has one of the most experienced groups coming back just one year removed from being one of the youngest teams in the country. The Cowboys have 17 returning starters, including five on offense and 10 on defense.
“Certainly, experience comes into play,” Bohl said. “It’s been my experience that when you have really special years, what occurs is your biggest guys are the ones that have the best years. Andrew Peasley needs to have his best year. Easton Gibbs needs to have his best year.
“Our attitude as far as going into fall camp, we’re not trying to find as many players. We’re trying to get the horns sharp for our season. That gives me a real sense of excitement. We’ve got some bullets in our gun.”
If there was ever a year to be excited about UW’s potential to get over the hump and play for a conference championship, it’d be this one. The Cowboys have all the pieces to put it all together, and being picked to finish sixth will only help motivate the team to outperform the expectations.
This fall should be an exciting time at UW, if the offense can do enough to supplement the defense.
“It’s the same as last year,” Gibbs said. “I don’t know if we were picked last or second-to-last (in the Mountain Division) last year, but it was same question about whether we’d surprise some people. I just think it gives us another chip on our shoulder.
“It’s always nice to keep stacking those chips and getting ready to go into the year. I think it should be a good run for us this year.”
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