Bohl impressed with edge rushers early in fall camp
LARAMIE -- "It's always easier to say woah than giddy up with these guys."
That's an encouraging sentence after just the third practice of the fall, huh?
That came from the mouth of Wyoming head coach Craig Bohl Friday after his team wrapped up its first workout in pads. He also used words like encouraging, execution and explosive, especially when referring to an inexperienced group of edge rushers.
"We also saw some sparks at the defensive end position," Bohl said. "... (Oluwaseyi Omotosho) made a couple of nice rushes and so did Sabastian (Harsh). I think Sabastian is learning how to play defensive end more, which is encouraging. You know, for us to generate some pressure with our down guys is going to be important."
Pretty impressive, considering Bohl said the No. 1 offensive line was the units that stood out on Friday morning.
That ends tallied just 10 total sacks last season. Not one of those came from a player on this current roster. Wyoming ranked 11th overall in the Mountain West in that category, registering just 24 as a defense over a 13-game span.
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Just how important will it be to bring heat off the perimeter, especially when you have upcoming meetings with signal callers like Hank Bachmeier, Logan Bonner and the league's preseason Offensive Player of the Year, Jake Haener?
The answer is obvious. But will it actually happen?
"I'm confident that we're going to see some more productivity from that spot, which we're going to need," Bohl said.
Back in 2017, the Cowboys racked up a league-best 34 quarterback takedowns. Carl Granderson led the way with 9.5. Kevin Prosser and Garrett Crall added five. Those three players forced four of 19 fumbles on the season.
That pressure also helped UW's secondary pick off 20 passes.
Is there a Granderson-type player on this roster?
"I mean, there's a reason why he's playing the National Football League: athleticism, length and explosion," Bohl said of Granderson, who is currently a member of the New Orleans Saints. "These defensive ends are different in stature, but they're also different in the type of play. I'd venture to say if you clock Oluwaseyi, you'd be sub 4.5 (40-yard dash). Sabastian was a quarterback in high school and a multi-sport athlete.
Those two guys -- along with DeVonne Harris -- they're wiry and twitchy, and will need to utilize that ability to create some pressure."
Here are the current defensive ends on the Wyoming roster:
Brady Bohlinger - R-Fr. - 6'2", 235 - Windsor, Colo.
Akili Bonner - Soph. - 6'4", 250 - Carmichael, Calif.
DeVonne Harris - Soph. - 6'4", 225 - Big Lake, Minn.
Sabastian Harsh - Soph. - 6'3", 237 - Scottsbluff, Neb.
Oluwaseyi Omotosho - R-Fr. - 6'2", 246 - Houston, Texas
Braden Siders - R-Fr. - 6'3", 240 - Thornton, Colo.
Kevin Sjogren - Fr. - 6'5", 210 - Palisade, Colo.
Tyce Westland - R-Fr. - 6'5", 240 - Pleasanton, Neb.
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