LARAMIE – There was a perfect Poke in the portal.
 
Wyoming's staff just didn't know about Brayden Wilson and or his brown and gold intentions when the name popped up.
 
Then one of Wilson's former coaches contacted Jay Sawvel and Co. to let them know the Weber State transfer had his heart set on playing at UW.
 
"His coach reached out to us and said, 'Hey, this is a kid that would really fit Wyoming.' You are kind of skeptical at first," said former UW linebacker and current defensive ends coach Brian Hendrickson. "Especially someone that wore the colors and played (here) I'm going, I don't know if they really know what that means. Then once you find out he's looking forward to playing Air Force, that's the game he looks forward to the most, that right there I think embodies who he is.
 
"He's a very tough, blue-collar kid. Yes sir, no sir. He's not very flashy, he just comes to work, and he lays it on the line every day. It's fun to watch."
 
Wilson, who is from Kaysville, Utah, is an avid elk hunter who played rugby in high school.
 
The 6-foot-5, 260-pound Wilson led the Big Sky and was 11^th nationally in tackles for loss last season. His 16.5 TFLs totaled 79 yards of chaos behind the line of scrimmage.
 
It would stand to reason Wilson's production – he racked up 138 tackles, 30.0 tackles for loss and 12.5 sacks during his career at the FCS level – would make him a popular target after his decision to transfer.
 
"I'm not going to lie; it was really scary," Wilson said of the process. "I have all these accolades; I should get picked up somewhere, but my goal was to go into the FBS level and what if it's hard to find me? Because I don't know how to put myself out there, I'm not social media savvy; I'm a little bit of an old school guy."
 
Wilson leaned on his wife, Sierra, and his parents for advice on choosing a school for his senior season. He had "quite a few people reaching out" from other programs but knew where he was headed when the Cowboys called.
 
"There's something about this place," Wilson said. "(Weber State) came here on our way to Northern Colorado to do like a stretch and flex. I remember looking around the stadium thinking I could play here. The hard-nosed football and what they're going for, that's what I like."
 
Tyce Westland, who emerged as a starter by the end of the 2024 season, is poised for a big senior season at one defensive end spot. A list of developing young players, including sophomores Tell Wade, Kevin Sjogren and Jordan Turnbull and redshirt freshman Eltoum Murgus, have an opportunity to establish themselves as rotational pieces this spring.
 
UW signed two transfers – Esaia Bogar (Riverside Community College) and Dawan Martin (Youngstown State) – in addition to Wilson.
 
The Pokes opened spring practice with a lengthy session on Tuesday in War Memorial Stadium.
 
"What we brought them in for is what we saw on day one as far as the effort, the motor," Hendricks said of the experienced newcomers. "They were running to the ball, and you don't have to really coach out a lot of their bad habits as far as their work ethic.
 
"What we're going to have to clean up is some of the techniques and fundamentals that maybe they've learned at other schools, but we have to put a little spin on what we like to do up front."
 
Wilson likes to sack quarterbacks. But he is also passionate about stopping the run and won Hendricks over during his visit when he circled the Air Force game over facing his home state Utah Utes on the schedule.
 
Most defensive linemen dread playing the Falcons and being subjected to cut blocks while executing disciplined assignment football.
 
"I can't wait to play Air Force," Wilson said. "Air Force is the No. 1 team I want to play because of the triple option, the 'we want to run down your face' attitude. I just want to punch them back in the mouth. That's literally all I want to do."
 
Wilson is 21 pounds heavier than any other defensive end on UW's roster. Hendricks envisions him attacking offensive tackles from the outside or bulldozing guards from the inside.
 
"When he came on his recruiting visit with his parents one of the things he asked was: Is there ever a time when I could play 4i?" Hendricks said of the technique when defensive ends line up on the inside shoulder of the tackle. "Usually, you kind of have to talk kids into that because they call themselves edge rushers. He really was excited about the 4i position we do when we get into our three-down (linemen) stuff.
 
"I think he's going to be very versatile, and we can create matchups on the inside, put him up against a guard and have him do things that a lot of ends usually don't like to do. They don't like to get inside that tackle box, they like to stay outside, but he's a brawler and I think he's going to thrive with that stuff."
 
When Sawvel made the decision to fortify the roster with 40 new additions over the winter, the second-year head coach said he would be targeting players who eat, breathe and live football.
 
Wilson was cited as the poster boy for loving the game after he ran across Laramie in below-zero temperatures for a 6 a.m. winter workout when his car door was frozen shut.
 
"I remember looking at my phone and looking at the 'feels like' and it showed negative-16 (degrees)," Wilson recalled. "Football is also my job. As crazy as it sounds, it's how I'm trying to provide for my family at this point. I'm a married man so I can't let my family down. You've got to do your job. At that point, to do my job, I had to run here."
 
Wilson said he has enjoyed being mentored by Hendricks because he can feel the genuine love his position coach has for UW and the program.
 
In this new age of player movement in college athletics, it appears the Pokes have found a perfect fit from the portal.
 
"I'm trying to prove to them that they can count on me," Wilson said. "I want to show everyone who I am – a physical guy who wants to go and play football. I don't care about any of the extra stuff, I just want to play.
 
"I like hitting, I like running, that's who I am. I'm trying to step up to show them they can trust me in that position, and I don't care who is in my way, I'm going to fight to take it."
 
If you are interested in learning more about NIL (Name, Image and Likeness) or would like to support our student-athletes, please visit 1wyo.org. 1WYO was created out of Wyoming's culture of neighbor helping neighbor. The mission is to promote and strengthen local charitable organizations and develop Wyoming student athletes.
 
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