LARAMIE – There will never be another Josh Allen.
 
That's why No. 17 is the first retired jersey number in Wyoming football history.
 
Allen, who returned to Laramie for the ceremony Nov. 22, watched the Cowboys' struggles in the passing game and lack of mobility at quarterback during the 13-7 loss to Nevada in the 2025 home finale at a soldout War Memorial Stadium.
 
Jay Sawvel knew a shakeup on offense was needed. UW's head coach hired Buffalo Bills assistant Christian Taylor as offensive coordinator and reunited him with William & Mary transfer quarterback Tyler Hughes in January.
 
Fans saw a glimpse of the possibilities during the spring game when Hughes threw a 47-yard touchdown pass to Jackson Holman and added a 45-yard run.
 
The longest pass from UW's starting quarterback last season was for 52 yards on a screen to Samuel "Tote" Harris and the longest run by the team's former QB1 went for 9 yards.
 
"It's hard to stop him, that's what I saw," safety Brooklyn Cheek said of Hughes' performance. "There was the one play where he's running down the sideline and a quarterback isn't usually moving as fast as DBs and safeties, but he's running and he talks after he plays.
 
"That's what I love about him; he's a scrappy guy who loves football. Great player."
 
The 6-foot, 210-pound Hughes, who was recruited by Taylor to William & Mary coming out of high school, passed for 2,330 yards with 20 touchdowns and three interceptions and rushed for 670 yards and 11 touchdowns last season.
 
A skirmish broke out during a practice in early April when defensive tackle Jayden Williams hit Hughes. Sawvel noted that his new signal caller is not "fine china" while also making it clear to would-be tacklers the next time a UW quarterback is hit better be at Colorado State when the season begins Sept. 5 in Fort Collins.
 
"I think we've competed," Hughes said of assimilating with his new team. "The offense has had some good days; the defense has had some really great days. We've been competing and sometimes it may get a bit chippy but it's all football. It's a competitive environment and you need those to have really good football teams."
 
Sawvel gave the defense a 21-0 lead to start the spring game and challenged the offense to catch up. Thanks to improved quarterback play the offense had the lead by halftime and finished with 37 points.
 
Mason Drube was 11-for-16 passing with a touchdown throw to quarterback turned tight end Gage Brook. The 6-3, 222-pound redshirt freshman from Gillette showed a strong grasp of the playbook and demonstrated leadership traits this spring.
 
"Mason is really sharp and intelligent, he has really good football instincts and a good feel for the game," Taylor said. "He has caught onto the offense very quickly. I think Tyler is continuing to expand his knowledge of the offense and football as a whole. I'm very pleased with their progress there."
 
UW will add a third dual-threat quarterback to the competition in August when Landon Sims returns from a knee injury that likely prevented him from ascending to starter last November. The 6-3, 217-pound junior was 6-for-8 passing for 38 yards and a touchdown and rushed for 97 yards and a touchdown on 15 carries in relief of Kaden Anderson.
 
With Sims out after tearing an ACL at San Diego State on Nov. 1, Drube accrued valuable experience over the final three games, finishing 20-for-38 passing for 187 yards.
 
"The better that Mason Drube gets the better that Tyler Hughes has to play. The better that Landon Sims eventually gets the better that both of them have to play," Sawvel said. "When you have a 12-game regular season, hopefully multiple games beyond that, sometimes somebody else is going to have to start. There's a chance that somebody gets injured and misses a game.
 
"I'm happy with that group right now. They're uber competitive and they pick it up really well and Coach Taylor does a great job with them."
 
Incoming freshman Taylor Hasselbeck, whose father Tim Hasselbeck and uncle Matt Hasselbeck were longtime NFL quarterbacks, will add more depth this summer.
 
"Taylor did an excellent job recruiting other players in this class," Sawvel said after signing the 2026 class. "When you have a quarterback commit and you make an offensive coordinator change during the season there has to be a high level of trust not only from the player but also the family that as the head coach, I'm going to get that part right. They've been involved in the loop as far as everything that's going on every step of the way.
 
"I really appreciate Taylor and what he does and what he will be as a Cowboy."
 
(Editor's note: This is the final story in an eight-part series reviewing UW's position groups.)
 
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.
 
Don't just watch the game — change it. The most powerful way to support University of Wyoming student-athletes is by joining the Cowboy Joe Club. Your membership fuels scholarships, provides essential resources, and helps Cowboys and Cowgirls succeed both in the classroom and in competition. Your gift is not just support — it's access. As a member, you'll enjoy exclusive benefits that bring you closer to the action than ever before. Be a champion. Join our team. Visit CowboyJoeClub.com or call 307-766-6242.