Nine Cowboys named preseason All-MW by Phil Steele

Steele’s list is divided into four tiers of teams. The Cowboys earned four first team selections, three second team picks and one each on the third and fourth teams. Each team has 12 individuals on offense, 12 on defense and five on special teams.

Running back Harrison Waylee, tight end John Michael Gyllenborg, defensive tackle Jordan Bertagnole and linebacker Shae Suiaunoa were all first team selections by Steele.

Waylee finished fourth in the MW in rushing yards per game (94.7) in his first season at UW, despite missing three games with a concoction of lower-body injuries. The Northern Illinois transfer led the Cowboys in rushing with 947 yards on 164 carries (5.8 yards per carry) and five touchdowns.

Waylee had plenty of highlight plays during his first season in Laramie, but none was bigger than a 62-yard touchdown run in the first quarter at Texas. He also reached a top speed of 21.8 miles per hour on a 75-yard touchdown run against Appalachian State, according to Reel Analytics.

Gyllenborg burst onto the scene during his sophomore campaign, finishing third on the team with 360 receiving yards. He hauled in 23 catches and three touchdowns while averaging 15.7 yards per catch.

Gyllenborg’s biggest highlight came in double overtime against Texas Tech in UW’s season-opener. Down 33-27 to the Red Raiders, Gyllenborg hauled in an 11-yard touchdown on a fourth-and-seven to tie the game. Sam Scott successfully completed the ensuing two-point conversion on the ground to give the Cowboys the walk-off win on national TV.

The game-tying score was also Gyllenborg’s first touchdown of his college career.

“(Offensive coordinator) Jay Johnson said to me yesterday, ‘Yeah, I’m trying to figure out a reason why I wouldn’t try and get (Gyllenborg) the ball like every couple plays,’ and I’m like, ‘Well, that’s why you’re here, because that’s a good starting point, and because I would try to get him the ball all the time, too,’” UW head coach Jay Sawvel said in March.

Bertagnole earned second team All-MW honors as a senior last fall after totaling 58 total tackles (27 solos, 31 assisted), two sacks, two pass deflections and a forced fumble. The Natrona County graduate played through a torn labrum in his left shoulder during UW’s last three games of the season and sat out this spring after having reconstructive surgery.

The injury led Bertagnole to the decision of returning to the Cowboys for a sixth and final season this fall.

Suiaunoa will make the transition from weak-side to middle linebacker this season to replace All-MW linebacker Easton Gibbs. Suiaunoa finished 11th in the conference last season at 7.15 tackles per game, totaling 93 total tackles through 13 games.

UW’s three second team representatives include safety Wyett Ekeler, offensive guard Jack Walsh and defensive end Sabastian Harsh.

Ekeler is coming off of his best season as a Cowboy, finishing third on the team in tackles with 77. He added two sacks, seven pass deflections, two interceptions (one pick-six), two forced fumbles and a fumble recovery.

Ekeler was named the MW defensive player of the week twice last season. He earned the honor for a second time after breaking five tackles during a 38-yard pick-six in a road win over Nevada in November.

Walsh has played in 23 career games going into his junior season after earning a starting job midway through his redshirt freshman season in 2022. He’ll likely be slotted at right guard alongside starting center Nofoafia Tulafono this fall.

Harsh finished sixth on UW’s defense with 50 tackles last fall. He added three sacks, one pass deflection and a fumble recovery during his sophomore campaign.

Cornerback Tyrecus Davis was the Cowboys’ lone selection on the third team. He all but locked up UW’s No. 1 spot on the depth chart with a strong spring camp.

The Navarro Community College transfer totaled 27 tackles, seven pass deflections, an interception, a forced fumble and two fumble recoveries in his first season in Laramie last fall.

Kicker John Hoyland rounded out UW’s preseason selections on the fourth team. Hoyland finished 13-of-20 (65%) on field goals and 38-of-39 (97.4%) on extra points as a junior last fall. He knocked in a pair of 56-yard field goals in consecutive weeks to set a new career-long.

Hoyland was also the hero of last year’s Arizona Bowl after connecting on a game-winning 24-yard field goal as time expired to give the Cowboys a 16-15 walk-off win in former coach Craig Bohl’s final game.

Boise State earned the most preseason all-conference nods from Steele with 15, followed by UNLV (14), Colorado State (12), Fresno State (12), San Diego State (nine), Utah State (nine), UW (nine), Hawaii (eight), Air Force (six), Washington State (six), Oregon State (five), Nevada (four), San Jose State (four) and New Mexico (three).