LARAMIE – Jay Novacek sat in on a Friday night meeting with Wyoming's tight ends last season.
 
"He is up talking technique, up running the clicker," longtime UW tight ends coach Shannon Moore recalled of the film session with the three-time Super Bowl champion and College Football Hall of Fame member. "I sat back. It was awesome."
 
Despite playing in a wishbone offense, Novacek earned All-American honors in 1984 after setting an NCAA for average yards per reception by a tight end (22.6). He finished his UW career with 83 career receptions for 1,536 yards and 10 touchdowns and won a WAC championship in decathlon before a decorated 12-year NFL career.

The Cowboys have another rare talent wearing No. 84 in senior John Michael Gyllenborg, one of the tight ends who sat in on the meeting with Novacek.
 
Gyllenborg, who has 56 receptions for 806 yards and six touchdowns in 19 career games, is expected to be the offense's featured target in 2025 after deciding to return for his last ride with the Cowboys.
 
The 6-5, 250-pound senior will have a chance to follow Novacek's footsteps into the NFL if all goes according to plan this fall.
 
"It will be fun," Gyllenborg said. "I think we will be more balanced, and we've got some guys in the running back and the receiver/tight end room that can do some damage."
 
Gyllenborg caught an 18-yard touchdown pass from Evan Svoboda with 24 seconds remaining to give the Pokes a 15-14 victory at Washington State to end a disappointing 2024 campaign on a high note.
 
Now the two roommates are in the same position group with the 6-5, 250-pound Svoboda moving from quarterback to tight end.
 
"The thing that's great about guys like Evan and J-Mike is when you're in a meeting room, even though Evan has been a quarterback and knows the system, J-Mike has been a three-and-a-half-year starter, those guys still ask questions," Moore said. "The leadership that J-Mike has been doing for our entire group right now really has been unbelievable. He's taken his leadership to a level that, even for me, has exceeded (expectations)."
 
Junior Isaac Schoenfeld (6-5, 258) and sophomore Jake Wilson (6-5, 245) will also create matchup nightmares for opposing defensive coordinators. The depth at tight end was impressive during spring practice with backups Justin Erb and Tyler Hampton making plays.

Two touted recruits, true freshmen Kyle Frendt and Landon Pace, will join the competition at tight end this summer.
 
"It's an exciting position," offensive coordinator Jay Johnson said. "Coach Moore does a great job with those guys. Obviously, we know J-Mike and what he brings to the table, but I think even this spring he has kind of even raised it up a notch from the perspective of his complete game. …
 
"It's a really competitive group, an athletic group that I think will be a big part of what we do."
 
During a meeting in January, Gyllenborg made it clear to Moore that he was committed to returning to UW. He also told the other tight ends he would be happy if one of them beat him out for the starting job because it would mean the Pokes are "really, really good."
 
The feeling inside the room is No. 84 has the drive and potential to win the Mackey Award given to the nation's premiere tight end.
 
"He will be the best tight end. I just believe that because of the way he approaches every day and the strides he has made from a leadership standpoint," Moore said. "The outside world might not think that, but to me everything he does for our room and our program, he's the best in the country."
 
(Editor's note: This is the fifth in an eight-part series reviewing UW's position groups. Friday's review: Wide receivers).
 
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