Wyoming Cowboys 2026 College Football Preview
Posted June 17, 2026
2025 Recap
Record – 4-8
ATS – 5-7
After starting 2–0 against a pair of TOMATO CANS, the Cowboys proceeded to lose eight of their final ten games and limped home with just four wins — a deeply disappointing season for the Laramie faithful. The offense was the major culprit, and they were downright awful. Wyoming scored a grand total of 24 POINTS in their final four games. TWENTY. FOUR. POINTS. Total ineptitude.
HC Jay Sawvel is now 7–17 through his first two seasons, and the pressure is mounting in a big way.
Wyoming Cowboys 2026 Outlook
OFFENSE
2025 By The Numbers (Mountain West):
- Scoring: 16.0 PPG (#12 Mountain West, dead last)
- Total Offense: 314.7 YPG (#11 Mountain West)
- Rushing: 131.7 YPG (#9 Mountain West)
- Passing: 183.0 YPG (#9 Mountain West)
- Sacks Allowed: 19 (#5 Mountain West)
The Cowboys knew a major upgrade at QB was absolutely necessary and they appear to have done very well in the portal, landing SPICY dual-threat specimen Tyler Hughes from William & Mary — 20 TD passes and 670 rush yards LY. This is a very exciting development for a program that hasn’t had a true number one signal-caller since the JOSH Freaking ALLEN days, yo.
The ground attack desperately needs to get going again. Wyoming’s rushing YPG has declined every single season since the PLANDEMIC season of 2020 (220 YPG) all the way down to 132 YPG LY — that’s the wrong direction, folks. Leading rusher Sam Harris is back after a fine freshman campaign (558, 5.6, 1 TD) including a 100-yard game at Fresno St in mid-November. The depth was addressed with solid additions including Diore Hubbard from West BY GOD Virginia. The OL has good size across the board with three returning starters and they added projected starting center Jason Maciejczak from CORN, so the foundation is there.
The WR corps underwent major reconstructive surgery that only fans of the hit drama THE PITT can appreciate. Not a single WR or TE returns with more than 10 receptions from LY. New QB Tyler Hughes could really use some weapons and the receiver room looks pretty bare. One player to watch according to our MEGALOCKS INSIDERS is 6-3, 209-pound Justin Popovich, who had a fine campaign with the D2 Lock Haven Bald Eagles LY (686, 6 TD). The TE room is unproven but deep and should be an asset — keep an eye on 6-5 sophomore Kyle Frendt, who had a cup of coffee with the team LY. New OC Christian Taylor arrives fresh from the Buffalo Bills and that’ll be welcome breath of fresh air.
DEFENSE
2025 By The Numbers (Mountain West):
- Scoring: 20.5 PPG (#3 Mountain West)
- Total Defense: 344.3 YPG (#5 Mountain West)
- Rushing Defense: 168.8 YPG (#9 Mountain West)
- Passing Defense: 175.5 YPG (#3 Mountain West)
- Sacks: 18 (#9 Mountain West)
The defense allowed the fewest points per game since 2019 LY — a genuinely fine performance that was completely wasted by the offensive DUMPSTER FIRE happening on the other side of the ball. The bad news is that it won’t be easy to replicate that kind of production. Wyoming loses four of their top five tacklers and their leading sack man, so the rebuilding project is real.
The biggest concern is PENETRATION. All four starters on the defensive line are gone, which is a YUUUGE problem. They do have plenty of bodies with size and GIRTH on the interior, but the edge rushers are the key. DEs Jack Dunkley (Duquesne, 3 sks, 9.5 TFL) and Thaddeus Gianaris (Dartmouth, 5 sks) are two immensely important doods who absolutely must get to the passer in 2026. At linebacker, there’s a YUUUGE hole to fill with top-two tacklers Brayden Johnson and Evan Eller both gone. The Cowboys will be leaning on USC transfer Anthony BEAVERS and others — Wyoming usually finds decent linebackers so we’re not overly panicked there.
The secondary is the other area of concern. FS Jones Thomas is the only returning starter on the back end and they’re relying heavily on transfers to fill out the depth chart. Recall that Wyoming was very efficient when it came to pass defense LY (#3 MW, 15-10 TD to INT ratio) — don’t expect a repeat of that performance, especially if the pass rush struggles to generate consistent pressure on the QB.
SPECIAL TEAMS
The Cowboys were a hideous #128 in the Phil Steele special teams rankings last year, and that needs to improve in a hurry. PK Erik Sandvik stunk up the joint (6/11 FG) and must be significantly better in 2026. On the bright side, there’s continuity across the board, and PR Deion DeBlanc returns after taking one to the house last season.
Schedule Analysis
Overall — The non-conference schedule is very soft and all four games are winnable, although three of them will be battles including the opener at Colorado St in the BORDER WAR. The Mountain West slate starts out with a tough pair — Hawaii and then at North Dakota St — before getting a breather. Then it’s off to the big boys with UNLV on the road and New Mexico at home. There are a LOT of winnable games on this schedule, and that’s a good thing.
Potential ATS Trouble Spot — at Central Michigan (Sept 19)
Wyoming heads into MAC country for a road trip before Mountain West play kicks off, and this is a tricky spot for the road favorite. The Cowboys didn’t exactly blow the doors off at Akron LY — they won 10-0 — and this is their fourth road game in six weeks to open the season. Fatigue plus a hungry MAC squad at home is a recipe for a cover-busting afternoon.
Season Win Total
Market consensus – July 17
Over 5.5 -115
Under 5.5 -115
MEGALOCKS says:
Lean: Over
This isn’t the most imposing roster we’ve ever seen, but we like the upgrade at QB and the schedule definitely boosts their chances of getting back to a bowl game.
Note – Our official list of season win total investments will be posted in the blog section of the website.
MEGAmazing Tidbits
The Cowboys have called War Memorial Stadium home since it opened in 1950. At 7,220 feet above sea level, it remains the highest FBS stadium in the country. Bring your SHERPA, bay-bee.
The University of Wyoming is the state’s only public four-year university, so your big higher-ed decision basically boils down to “What major do I want?” instead of “Which school should I attend?” It’s the ultimate one-stop shop for diplomas on the high plains — the frontier’s finest degree dispensary, yo. In most states you compare campuses; in Wyoming you compare majors and hope the wind doesn’t blow your schedule into NEBRASKA.
MEGALOCKS Forecast:
The Mountain West is always better when Wyoming is a tough out, and we think this team is positioned to be exactly that in 2026. The offense has a chance to take a real step forward with a dual-threat quarterback leading the way, and the ground game should give them a solid foundation. The defense isn’t elite, but it looks improved and capable of keeping them in most games.
With a favorable schedule and some positive momentum in Year 3 under Jay Sawvel, getting back to a bowl game feels very much within reach — and maybe even a step toward bigger things down the road.
GO WYO!