LARAMIE – Kaden Anderson plays quarterback with a swagger.
 
Anderson's self-confidence was evident during his first career start at Wyoming – last season's 49-45 win at New Mexico – when he passed for 342 yards and a touchdown and was also assessed an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty after jawing facemask-to -facemask with a defensive lineman following his only interception.
 
"I've got a little fire in me for sure," Anderson said after the emotional performance in Albuquerque. "I think that comes from my dad a little bit."
 
Anderson's father, Ronnie, died of brain cancer in 2020. The talented teenager didn't let the sea of grief drown him and was able to realize a childhood dream by becoming the starting signal caller for Texas high school powerhouse Southlake Carroll.
 
More adversity arrived as Anderson suffered two torn ACLs during his prep career. The UW coaching staff continued to recruit the 6-foot-4 prospect, and after a redshirt season in 2023 and the Cowboys' struggles last fall, it was No. 12's turn to lead the offense against the Lobos.

Anderson also started against Colorado State and Boise State. He passed for 955 yards with six touchdowns and two interceptions during the audition.

"That was huge going in there and getting my feet wet a little bit, playing those few games and getting used to that speed of the game," Anderson said. "It is a lot faster and I'm very grateful for that because now I'm a little more seasoned and not getting thrown into the fire."
 
UW head coach Jay Sawvel wanted competition at every position and did not officially name Anderson as QB1 until releasing the first depth chart of the 2025 season Sunday. Landon Sims, a junior college transfer who was impressive throughout fall camp and surprised the coaching staff with his athleticism, will be the backup. 
 
"It's a very surreal feeling," Anderson said. "I'm super pumped, super excited for the season. We look really good. The defense is making plays; the offense looks really good. I'm thrilled."
 
Sawvel is not naming team captains this season, but Anderson is clearly a player everyone is ready to follow as the Pokes kick off the campaign against Akron on Thursday at InfoCision Stadium (5 p.m., ESPN+).
 
And that includes last year's starting quarterback, Evan Svoboda, who has made an impressive transition to tight end.
 
"Being around Kaden all last year and in the same room we were great buddies and still are," Svoboda said. "There's a great chemistry between us and that's because I'm not coming in from a different position where I wasn't around him. I was around him every single day, so whether it's him throwing the ball to me or whatever, we have this great chemistry."
 
Anderson has also been on point with star tight end John Michael Gyllenborg and starting wide receivers Chris Durr Jr. and Jalen Sargent since the end of the 2024 campaign. He has complete trust in the offensive line, which is led by Jack Walsh and Caden Barnett.
 
All of the notable names above were on Sawvel's top 10 list of players that needed to be retained through two different transfer portal windows. Anderson did his part to make sure the offense came back fully loaded.
 
"I had a great talk with a lot of those guys after the season and I was like, 'I'm staying and I want you guys to stay,'" Anderson said. "I want to build something great here. I love Wyoming and they do, too. I'm really excited for this season because of the chemistry we have on offense and everything else moving forward."
 
Follow Ryan for more stories on Wyoming athletics on X at @By_RyanThorburn on Facebook at Wyoming Athletics and Instagram at wyoathletics. Also follow him at Pokes Insider at Gowyo.com/pokesinsider.
 
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