(Editor's note: UW Athletics release)
LARAMIE, Wyo. - Wyoming Football announces four new commitments to its 2022 recruiting class on Wednesday, including one of the nation's top offensive line recruits in Deshawn Woods of Omaha Central High School in Omaha, Neb. Joining Woods in the group of new Cowboys announced on Wednesday were: offensive linemen Luke Sandy of Legend High School and Elizabeth, Colo.; safety TJ Urban of Omaha, Neb., who is transferring to Wyoming from Air Force Academy Prep; and long snapper Carson York of Rock Hill High School and McKinney, Texas. The regular signing period for NCAA Division I football teams began on Wednesday, Feb. 2 and will run through Friday, April 1.
Woods is rated as a four-star recruit by both 247 Sports and Rivals. He is the No. 1 ranked recruit in the state of Nebraska by Rivals and the No. 2 ranked recruit in the state by 247 Sports. 247 Sports also ranks Woods as the No. 12 ranked inside offensive lineman in the nation, and Rivals ranks him as the No. 14 best offensive guard in the nation. He is projected to play offensive tackle for the Cowboys.
Wyoming's four new signees join the Cowboys' 15 high school student-athletes who signed with the Pokes during the early signing period in December 2021 and five transfers who were announced in January 2022 to bring the total of new Cowboys to 24.
"I believe we met many of our needs," said Bohl. "We wanted to continue to strengthen our offensive line, and we identified a couple guys we're excited about there. Deshawn Woods is a unique player who we're really pleased to have in our program. Luke Sandy is another young man who is going to add value to our offensive line group. Certainly a deep snapper was high on our list, so we're excited about Carson (York) and the ability he will bring to that position, and TJ Urban is a young man who we tried to recruit out of high school and is on our campus now. We're well pleased with where this class is at."
Select Highlights of the 2022 Wyoming Football Regular Period Signees
∙Deshawn Woods is ranked as a four-star recruit by both 247 Sports and Rivals. Woods is ranked by Rivals as the No. 1 recruit in the state of Nebraska in the 2022 recruiting class, and Rivals ranks him as the No. 14 ranked offensive guard in the nation. 247 Sports ranks Woods as the No. 2 recruit in the state of Nebraska and the No. 12 inside offensive lineman in the nation. He is projected to play offensive tackle for the Cowboys.
∙Luke Sandy earned Second team Colorado All-State Class 5A honors as an offensive and defensive lineman his senior season. He is projected as an offensive lineman for the Cowboys. He led his Legend High team in Colorado to the semifinals of the state playoffs in both 2020 and 2021. Sandy played at the same high school as former Wyoming Cowboy linebacker Chad Muma.
∙TJ Urban is transferring to Wyoming from Air Force Academy Prep where he spent the fall semester of 2021. Urban is projected to play safety for Wyoming. He was an outstanding dual-threat quarterback and defensive back at Millard South High in Omaha, Neb. Urban was ranked by 247 Sports as the No. 12 overall recruit in the state of Nebraska in the 2021 recruiting class. As a senior, he was named to the 2020 Omaha World-Herald All-Nebraska football team for all classifications. He also earned Lincoln Journal-Star First Team SuperState honors on offense and was named to the Class A First Team All-State offensive team by the Journal-Star.
∙Carson York recorded the top overall score as a long snapper at the Kohl's Texas Showcase as a long snapper and was ranked as the No. 9 long snapper recruit in the country by Kohl's Professional Football Camps that specializes in Kicking, Punting, Long-snapping, and Athletic Development.
Select Highlights of the Overall 2022 Wyoming Football Signing Class
∙Of Wyoming's 24 commitments in this year's recruiting class, one was a four-star recruit and 12 were rated as three-star recruits by 247 Sports.
∙Wyoming's four new commits bring the total to 12 individual recruits who ranked among the Top 25 recruits in their home states when they came out of high school.
∙Two Cowboy signees were ranked as the No. 1 recruit in their home states -- Isaac Schoenfeld from Rock Springs, Wyo., was rated as the No. 1 recruit in the state of Wyoming by 247 Sports, and Deshawn Woods of Omaha, Neb., was rated as the No. 1 recruit in the state of Nebraska by Rivals.
∙All five of Wyoming's signees from the state of Nebraska were ranked among the Top 20 in their state. Offensive lineman Deshawn Woods is rated by Rivals as the No. 1 recruit in Nebraska. 247 Sports ranks quarterback Caden Becker as the No. 11 recruit in Nebraska. Safety Koa McIntyre is ranked No. 12, and running back LJ Richardson is rated No. 13 in Nebraska. Prep school transfer TJ Urban was ranked as the No. 12 overall recruit in Nebraska a year ago in the 2021 recruiting class.
∙The other six new Cowboys rated among the Top 20 players in their home states by 247 Sports were: 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. Transfer Cole DeMarzo was ranked as the No. 25 overall recruit in the state of South Carolina when he came out of high school, and transfer Jakorey Hawkins was ranked as the No. 18 overall recruit in the state of Alabama coming out of high school.
Coaching Ties and Ties to High School Teammates
∙Offensive line recruit Luke Sandy played at Legend High School in Parker, Colo., for head coach Monte Thelen. Former Cowboy linebacker Chad Muma is also an alum of Legend High and played for coach Thelen.
∙Safety TJ Urban will be playing with former high school teammate Kohl Herbolsheimer at Wyoming. Both played at Millard South High in Omaha, Neb.
∙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 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.
Position Breakdown
∙The 2002 Wyoming Signing Class is made up of 13 recruits on offense, 10 on defense and one on special teams.
State Breakdown
∙This year's UW recruiting class is one of the more diverse that Wyoming has had, with 13 different states being represented. The states of Colorado and Nebraska lead the way as each has five players on the 2022 Wyoming Signing Class. There are three individuals from Texas, two from California and one each from nine other states -- Wyoming, Alabama, Arizona, Iowa, Minnesota, Missouri, Oregon, South Carolina and Wisconsin.
Breakdown of High School and Transfer Commitments
∙Wyoming's 2022 recruiting class includes 18 high school signees and six transfers. Of the six transfers four are from other Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) programs, one is from junior college and one from a prep school.
2022 University of Wyoming Regular Period Commitments
Complete Bios
(Alphabetical, As of Feb. 2, 2022)
Luke Sandy OL 6-2 285 Fr. Elizabeth, Colo. (Legend)
Luke Sandy earned Second Team Colorado All-State Class 5A honors as an offensive and defensive lineman his senior season of 2021. The All-State teams were presented by CHSAANow, ColoradoPreps and MaxPreps and voted on by Colorado high school coaches. Sandy is projected as an offensive lineman for the Cowboys. He helped lead Legend High School to an 11-2 record in 2021. Legend entered the 2021 Class 5A State Playoffs as the No. 3 seed and advanced all the way to the semifinals of the state playoffs before losing to the eventual state champion Cherry Creek. Sandy was credited with 74 total tackles as a senior, including 42 solo stops. He added 9.0 tackles for loss, 6.0 sacks and two fumble recoveries. As a junior, Sandy made 61 total tackles, including 37 solo tackles, 9.0 TFLs, 1.0 sack, one forced fumble and one pass breakup. His junior season he helped Legend post a 7-1 overall record. Legend advanced to the Semifinals of the 2020 State Playoffs as the No. 3 seed before falling to No. 2 seed Valor Christian in the semifinals. Sandy comes from the same high school as former Wyoming Cowboy linebacker Chad Muma. Sandy played for head coach Monte Thelen at Legend High School.
TJ Urban S 6-1 193 Fr. Omaha, Neb. (Millard South)
TJ Urban is transferring to Wyoming after spending the fall semester of 2021 at the Air Force Academy Prep. He is projected to play safety for the Cowboys. Urban signed with Air Force during the 2021 recruiting period a year ago following an outstanding career at Millard South High School in Omaha, Neb. He was ranked by 247 Sports as the No. 12 overall recruit in the state of Nebraska in the 2021 recruiting class. Urban was an outstanding dual-threat quarterback and defensive back at Millard South. As a senior, he was named to the 2020 Omaha World-Herald All-Nebraska football team for all classifications. He also earned Lincoln Journal-Star First Team SuperState honors on offense and was named to the Class A First Team All-State offensive team by the Journal-Star. His senior season of 2020, he led Millard South to an 8-2 record and the No. 3 seed entering the Class A State Playoffs, which is the largest classification in the state. Millard South advanced all the way to the semifinals before losing a two-point game (33-35) to eventual state champion Omaha Westside. He was credited with 45 total tackles his senior season, including 23 solo tackles, one interception for 52 yards, two pass breakups and two fumble recoveries. He completed 64 of 122 passes for 843 yards on offense and threw eight touchdown passes and only three interceptions. He also led his team in rushing with 1,289 rushing yards on 157 carries and scored 16 rushing touchdowns. Urban was also part of Millard South's State Championship baseball team in the spring of 2021 as they posted a 35-5 record. Urban hit for a .322 average and had 19 RBIs as an outfielder. He played for head football coach Andy Means. Urban was recruited by Air Force, Army, Fresno State, Iowa State, Kansas State, Northern Illinois, Ohio and Wyoming coming out of high school.
Deshawn Woods OT 6-5 285 Fr. Omaha, Neb. (Omaha Central)
Deshawn Woods is rated as a four-star recruit by both 247 Sports and Rivals. Woods is ranked by Rivals as the No. 1 recruit in the state of Nebraska in the 2022 recruiting class, and Rivals ranks him as the No. 14 ranked offensive guard in the nation. 247 Sports ranks Woods as the No. 2 recruit in the state of Nebraska and the No. 12 inside offensive lineman in the nation. He was selected to both the Lincoln Journal-Star First Team Nebraska Super State Team and the Omaha World-Herald All-Nebraska First Team for all classifications. Woods was selected to and played in the Under Armour All-America game on Jan. 2, 2022. He played for head coach Jay Landstrom at Omaha Central. Woods was also recruited by Arizona State, Arkansas, Florida, Illinois, Iowa, Iowa State, Kansas State, LSU, Miami (Fla.), Michigan State, Nebraska, Penn State, Missouri and Texas A&M.
Carson York LS 6-1 180 Fr. McKinney, Texas (Rock Hill)
Carson York recorded the top overall score as a long snapper at the Kohl's Texas Showcase and was ranked as the No. 9 long snapper in the country by Kohl's Professional Football Camps that specializes in Kicking, Punting, Long-snapping, and Athletic Development. He played outside linebacker and was the starting long snapper at Rock Hill High School in McKinney, Texas. He earned Academic All-District honors at Rock Hill High School as a senior. His brother, Cade, was an All-Amerca kicker at LSU and played on the Tigers College Football Playoff National Championship team in 2019. York played for head football coach Mark Wilkinson at Rock Hill High.
2022 University of Wyoming Football Signing Class Summary
February 2022 Signees (4)
(Listed Alphabetically)
Name Pos. Ht. Wt. Class Hometown (Last School)
Luke Sandy OL 6-2 285 Fr. Elizabeth, Colo. (Legend)
TJ Urban S 6-1 193 Fr. Omaha, Neb. (Millard South)
Deshawn Woods OT 6-5 285 Fr. Omaha, Neb. (Omaha Central)
Carson York LS 6-1 180 Fr. McKinney, Texas (Rock Hill)
Transfer Signees in January 2022 (5)
(Listed Alphabetically)
Years of Eligibility
Name Pos. Ht. Wt. Class Hometown (Last School) Remaining
Cole DeMarzo LB 6-4 225 So. Hilton Head, S.C. (Michigan State) 3
Deron Harrell CB 6-2 182 Sr. Denver, Colo. (Wisconsin) 1
Jakorey Hawkins CB 5-11 195 Jr. Montgomery, Ala. (Ole Miss) 2
Andrew Peasley QB 6-2 200 Jr. La Grande, Ore. (Utah State) 2
Evan Svoboda QB 6-5 229 So. Mesa, Ariz. (Snow College) 3
Early High-School Signees in December 2021 (15)
(Listed Alphabetically)
Name Pos. Ht. Wt. Class Hometown (Last School)
Caden Becker QB 6-4 220 Fr. Omaha, Neb. (Skutt Catholic)
Charlie Coenen WR 6-0 185 Fr. Chanhassen, Minn. (Chanhassen)
Josh Dixon CB 5-11 170 Fr. McKinney, Texas (McKinney)
Jagger Filippone OL 6-6 265 Fr. Torrey Pines, Calif. (Torrey Pines)
Cayden Hawkins LB 6-3 185 Fr. Highlands Ranch, Colo. (Valor Christian)
Mykel Janise OL 6-4 265 Fr. Beaumont, Texas (West Brook)
Rex Johnsen OL 6-5 270 Fr. Logan, Iowa (Logan-Magnolia)
Wes King OL 6-5 275 Fr. Appleton, Wis. (Appleton North)
Koa McIntyre S 6-0 190 Fr. Fremont, Neb. (Archbishop Bergan Catholic)
Caleb Merritt WR 5-11 170 Fr. St. Louis, Mo. (John Burroughs)
LJ Richardson RB 6-1 215 Fr. Bellevue, Neb. (Bellevue West)
Isaac Schoenfeld TE 6-5 220 Fr. Rock Springs, Wyo. (Rock Springs)
Malique Singleton S 6-0 170 Fr. Englewood, Colo. (Grandview)
Kevin Sjogren DE 6-5 210 Fr. Palisade, Colo. (Palisade)
Jaden Williams DT 6-4 248 Fr. Inglewood, Calif. (Campbell Hall)
