(Editor's note: UW Athletics release)
LARAMIE, Wyo. - The early signing period for college football teams began on Wednesday and the Wyoming Cowboys announced 15 high school student-athletes who signed with the Pokes, including eight players ranked among the Top 20 recruits in their home states.
Wyoming's 2022 signing class includes players from nine different states, including the top ranked recruit from the state of Wyoming in Isaac Schoenfeld from Rock Springs, Wyo.
"With the changing landscape of college football, we're excited about the 15 high school players who we signed," said Wyoming head coach Craig Bohl. "Our coaches have worked hard in putting together this recruiting class. These young men are all bought in to play for the Cowboys. They will have a tremendous impact on the future of Wyoming Football."
The national letter-of-intent early signing period for football began on Wednesday, Dec. 15 and will conclude on Friday, Dec. 17.
In addition to the early signing period for football, there is a Midyear Junior College Transfer signing period from Dec. 15 through Sat., Jan. 15, 2022 and the regular signing period for football from Wed., Feb. 2 through Friday, April 1.
Position Breakdown
•This year's position breakdown sees six recruits on the defensive side of the ball and nine on offense. Of the defensive signees: three are defensive backs, two are defensive linemen and one is a linebacker. Offensively, UW signed four offensive lineman, two wide receivers, one quarterback, one running back and one tight end.
State-by-State Breakdown
•A year ago, Texas led the way for Wyoming with six signees, followed by four from Nebraska. This year, the states of Colorado and Nebraska have three signees each, followed by two each from California and Texas and one each from Wyoming, Iowa, Minnesota, Missouri and Wisconsin.
2022 Wyoming Football Early Signing Class Select Highlights
Individual Recruiting Rankings
•Of Wyoming's 15 early signees, eight of the 15 were rated as three-star recruits by 247 Sports.
•Eight members of Wyoming's 2022 recruiting class were rated by 247 Sports among the Top 20 players in their home states.
•Those players rated by 247 Sports among the Top 20 players in their states included Isaac Schoenfeld from Rock Springs, Wyo., who was rated as the No. 1 player in the state of Wyoming.
•All three of Wyoming's signees from the state of Nebraska were ranked among the Top 20 in their state by 247 Sports. Quarterback Caden Becker is rated the No. 11 recruit in Nebraska. Safety Koa McIntyre is ranked No. 12, and running back LJ Richardson is rated No. 13 in Nebraska.
•The other four new Cowboys rated among the Top 20 players in their home states by 247 Sports are: offensive lineman Rex Johnsen, who is rated the No. 15 recruit out of Iowa; safety Malique Singleton, who is ranked No. 16 in Colorado; wide receiver Caleb Merritt, who is rated the No. 19 recruit in Missouri; and offensive lineman Wes King, who is ranked the No. 20 recruit in the state of Wisconsin.
Coaching Ties and Ties to High School Teammates
•Defensive end recruit Kevin Sjogren from Palisade, Colo., played for head coach Joe Ramunno at Palisade High. Ramunno is a former Wyoming Cowboy offensive lineman who earned All-WAC honors and Honorable Mention All-America honors in 1983 and '84 and went on to be inducted into the UW Athletics Hall of Fame.
•Safety Malique Singleton played at Grandview High School in the Denver metro area. During his career he played for head coaches John Schultz and Tom Doherty at Grandview. Several Grandview players have played at Wyoming in recent years, including Eddie Yarbrough and Tanner Gentry and current Cowboys Gunner Gentry and Mason Schultz. Mason is the son of retired Grandview head coach John Schultz.
•Other new Cowboys who will be joining former high school teammates at Wyoming include: quarterback Caden Becker from Omaha Skutt Catholic, who will be joining former high school teammate and current Cowboy linebacker Sam Scott in Laramie. Linebacker Cayden Hawkins will reunite with high school teammate and UW cornerback Zaire Jackson. Both played at Valor Christian in Denver.
Cowboys Continue to Sign the Best Players From Wyoming
•It has been a priority for the Wyoming Cowboys under head coach Craig Bohl to sign the best players from the state of Wyoming. That priority continued this year as Isaac Schoenfeld from Rock Springs signed with the Cowboys. Schoenfeld is ranked by 247 Sports as a three-star recruit and the No. 1 recruit in the state of Wyoming. He was named First Team All-State Class 4A as a tight end by the Wyoming Coaches Association both his junior and senior seasons and was a unanimous selection as a senior. Schoenfeld was also named to the Casper Star-Tribune Super 25 team as a junior. The 2021 Super 25 team will be announced in late December.
Other Individual Highlights
•Caden Becker is ranked as a three-star recruit by 247 Sports. 247 Sports ranks Becker as the No. 11 overall recruit in the state of Nebraska this year. Becker earned Honorable Mention All-State Class B honors from the Omaha World-Herald as a senior.
•Charlie Coenen was selected as an All-District player three times during his high school career, and he was named to the 2021 Minneapolis Star Tribune Second Team All-Metro team. Coenen was also named District Co-Offensive Player of the Year.
•Josh Dixon is rated as a three-star recruit by both 247 Sports and ESPN. He had numerous other FBS offers from: Air Force, Army Liberty, Navy, New Mexico and Utah State.
•Jagger Filippone played offensive tackle and defensive end at Torrey Pines High School in Torrey Pines, Calif. Filippone was recruited by FBS teams such as Arizona State and Navy and Ivy League schools Brown, Columbia and Penn.
•Cayden Hawkins is a three-star recruit as ranked by ESPN. He helped lead Valor Christian to a 13-1 overall record and the No. 1 seed in the Colorado Class 5A State Championships in 2021.
•Mykel Janise was named to the 2021 Football Super Gold First Team as selected by the Beaumont Enterprise in Beaumont, Texas, while not allowing a single quarterback sack, recording 49 pancake blocks and grading out above 90 percent at the left tackle position for his West Brook High team.
•Rex Johnsen is rated as a three-star recruit by 247 Sports. 247 Sports ranks Johnsen as the No. 15 overall recruit in the state of Iowa this season. Johnsen was named to the 2021 Des Moines Register All-State Class A First Team as an offensive lineman. He also was named First Team All-State Class A as an offensive lineman by the Iowa Print Sports Writers Association.
•Wes King is rated as a three-star recruit by 247 Sports, which also ranks him as the No. 20 overall recruit in the state of Wisconsin this year. King was named First Team All-State as a defensive lineman by the Wisconsin Football Coaches Association on their WFCA Large School All-State team for 2021. He also earned First Team All-State as a defensive lineman on the 2021 Associated Press All-State Football Team.
•Koa McIntyre is ranked as a three-star recruit by 247 Sports. 247 Sports ranks McIntyre as the No. 12 overall recruit in the state of Nebraska this year. He was named to the 2021 Omaha World-Herald First Team All-Nebraska Football Team as a defensive back. The All-Nebraska Team represents the best players in the state from all classifications. While earning All-Nebraska honors as a defensive back, McIntyre played both ways for Archbishop Bergan High and was named the Class C-2 First Team All-State quarterback and the Class C-2 Honorary Captain by the Omaha World-Herald.
•Caleb Merritt is rated as a three-star recruit by 247 Sports, which also ranks him as the No. 19 overall recruit in the state of Missouri this year. He was ranked No. 19 on the St. Louis Post-Dispatch Super 30 at the start of his senior season. He was named First Team All-State Class 4 by the Missouri Football Coaches Association (MFCA) his senior season as a kick returner.
•LJ Richardson is ranked by 247 Sports as the No. 13 overall recruit in the state of Nebraska this year. He earned Omaha World-Herald First Team All-Nebraska Football Team honors in both 2020 and 2021. The All-Nebraska Team represents the best players in the state from all classifications. Richardson was also named to the 2020 and 2021 Omaha World-Herald First Team Class A All-State Teams.
•Isaac Schoenfeld is ranked by 247 Sports as a three-star recruit and the No. 1 recruit in the state of Wyoming. He was named First Team All-State Class 4A as a tight end by the Wyoming Coaches Association both his junior and senior seasons and was a unanimous selection as a senior. He was named to the Casper Star-Tribune Super 25 team as a junior. The 2021 Super 25 team will be announced in late December.
•Malique Singleton is ranked as the No. 16 overall recruit in the state of Colorado by 247 Sports. He helped lead Grandview to a 10-3 record and the No. 4 seed in the Colorado Class 5A State Championships in 2021. Grandview advanced all the way to the Semifinals of State. He follows other former Grandview players Eddie Yarbrough and Tanner Gentry and current Cowboys Gunner Gentry and Mason Schultz to Laramie.
•Kevin Sjogren played both tight end and linebacker for Palisade High School in Palisade, Colo. Sjogren earned First Team All-State Class 3A honors as a junior in 2020 as selected by the Colorado High School Football Coaches and presented by the Colorado High School Activities Association (CHSAA), Colorado Preps and MaxPreps. He played for head coach Joe Ramunno at Palisade High. Ramunno is a former Wyoming Cowboy offensive lineman who went on to be inducted into the UW Athletics Hall of Fame.
•Jaden Williams helped his Campbell Hall High team in North Hollywood, Calif., post a 10-1 record for the 2021 season. Campbell Hall entered the California Southern Section Division 6 Playoffs with a 10-0 record before losing in the opening round to Santa Barbara. He played for head coach Dennis Keyes at Campbell Hall. Keyes played for UCLA in Wyoming's 2004 Las Vegas Bowl game versus the Bruins.
