Bohl stresses importance of private, public help in recruiting success

LARAMIE – Craig Bohl spent about 30 minutes showing video highlights and introducing the University of Wyoming’s 2106 recruiting class Wednesday.

But the first thing the third-year coach did was give credit for what he and his staff deemed the reason for their successful recruiting cycle.

“This recruiting class and the composition of our football team wouldn’t be possible without the generous contributions of our Cowboy Joe Club members (the fundraising arm of UW athletics) and the generous match made by the Wyoming Legislature,” Bohl said.

Two years ago, the legislature instituted a process where it matched up to $5 million annually to what the Cowboys Joe Club raised to go toward UW athletics. Budget cuts by Gov. Matt Mead have that figure down to $4 million now, and it has been a hot-button topic around the state due the poor financial forecast for the state and whether any state money should go toward athletics at Wyoming’s only four-year college.

The legislature will determine its fate later this month.

Bohl said of the 23 players signed Wednesday, staffers saw 16 of them in person during the fall.

Often times, UW coaches would leave practice on Thursday to be at a school, watch a player and talk to his coach Friday, and return Saturday for their own game.

“That funding helped us do all of that,” Bohl said.

Gordie Haug, UW’s director of recruiting, said the in-season recruiting was vital to this year’s class.

“So many programs don’t do that as much as we do,” Haug said. “Kids and their coaches know our presence. We used every single in-season recruiting day that we could.

“I would probably say we were the only Mountain West school that did that.”

Bohl also said those funds allowed his staff to talk to coaches and see more players throughout the state. For the second consecutive year, UW signed two in-state players: Jackson running back Theo Dawson and Gillette fullback Zach Taylor. Nine other in-state players will join the team as walk-ons.

This year’s class consisted of 11 offensive players, 11 defensive players and one kicker. Players from 11 different states were represented.

UW had all of its national letters of intent from signees by mid-morning Wednesday. There were no late-minute surprises – good or bad.

A lot was made of three defensive players who de-committed starting last weekend through Tuesday morning.

Bohl wasn’t interested in talking about that.

Instead, he talked about the guys UW got and how they held true to their commitments after several had numerous schools come after them late in the recruiting process.

“We saw many other schools come in and ‘ambulance chase’ guys we offered and had commitments from,” Bohl said.

“I can’t tell you how many of these young men stayed true to their commitments and stared down many Power 5 conference schools that tried to come in and recruit them.

“One of our guys looked one of those (recruiters) in the eye and not only said no but (expletive) no.”

UW has two scholarships available to complete this class. Defensive line likely will be a position it will look at. UW won’t be in a rush to sign anyone. Haug said it will look at high school kids, fifth-year Division I transfers and in the junior-college ranks.

The Cowboys played 16 true freshmen last season, in which it went 2-10 and 2-6 in the MW. Ten other redshirt freshmen played, and the 26 total freshmen was tied for the seventh-most in the Football Bowl Subdivision.

It’s too early to tell how many players from this year’s class will play this fall. Bohl said it will depend on three factors: ability, position need and emotional maturity.

“I’d venture to say many of these young men have those characteristics,” he said, “and some be out there (this fall) in War Memorial Stadium.”