• Place-kicker John Hoyland Named Third Team All-American

Tim Harkins
Associate Athletics Director for Media Relations,
Public Relations and Broadcasting
University of Wyoming Athletics

Laramie, Wyo. The 2023 Phil Steele Preseason All-America and All-Conference teams were announced on Monday and 10 Wyoming Cowboys were named to the Preseason All-Mountain West Team.  Among those 10 were junior place-kicker John Hoyland, who was also named to Phil Steele’s Third Team All-America squad and First Team All-Mountain West Team.

Hoyland was joined on the Mountain West First Team by junior defensive tackle Jordan Bertagnole, graduate offensive tackle Frank Crum, junior middle linebacker Easton Gibbs and junior defensive end DeVonne Harris.

Wyoming had two players named to Phil Steele’s All-Mountain West Second Team.  Junior running back Dawaiian McNeely and graduate tight end Treyton Welch were the Second Team selections.

Two other Cowboys were named Third Team.  Those two were sophomore defensive end Sabastian Harsh and junior weak-side linebacker Shae Suiaunoa.

Graduate nose tackle Cole Godbout was the lone Poke named to the Fourth Team.

Hoyland Adds Second Preseason All-America Honor of 2023

Being named to Phil Steele’s Third Team All-America squad was the second Preseason All-America honor for Hoyland in ’23.  He was named to Athlon Sports Second Team All-America squad earlier this spring.

Where the Pokes Ranked Among Other Mountain West Teams

Wyoming’s five First Team selections by Phil Steele ranked second among all Mountain West teams.  Colorado State had six First Team selections.  Boise State, San Diego State and Utah State each had four First Team members.

The Cowboys 10 overall selections between Phil Steele’s first, second, third and fourth teams tied them for the fourth most overall players named to the teams.  UW tied with Air Force and San Diego State.  Boise State led in most overall selections with 15.  San Jose was second with 13, and Utah State was third with 11.

Wyoming has six defensive players on the four teams, including four defensive linemen in: Bertagnole (defensive tackle), Godbout (nose tackle), Harris (defensive end) and Harsh (defensive end); and both Cowboy linebackers — Gibbs and Suiaunoa.

The Pokes have three representatives on offense in Crum (offensive tackle), McNeely (running back) and Welch (tight end).

Place-kicker Hoyland is Wyoming’s one representative on special teams.

Phil Steele’s Third Team All-America Selection From Wyoming

John Hoyland made 22 of 25 field goals (88.0 percent) in 2022.  In addition to leading the Mountain West and ranking No. 7 in the nation in field goals made at 1.69 per game.  His 22 field goals set a new Wyoming single-season school record.  He broke the record of former Cowboys Cory Wedel, who made 20 field goals in 1996, and J.D. Wallum, who made 20 in 2001.  Hoyland’s field-goal percentage of 88.0 percent in 2022 was No. 2 in the MW and No. 18 nationally.  He made four field goals of over 50 yards in the 2022 season — 51, 53, 53 and 55.  His 55-yarder was tied for the fifth longest in the FBS last season and was the longest in the Mountain West last year.  Hoyland was named a Semifinalist for the 2022 Lou Groza Award.  He was named a 2022 PFF (Pro Football Focus) Second Team Mid-Season All-American.  Hoyland was selected as the MW Special Teams Player of the Week three times last season.

Phil Steele’s First Team All-Mountain West Selections From Wyoming

John Hoyland (Place-kicker, See bio information in above All-America list.)

Jordan Bertagnole (Defensive Tackle) has started 21 of 30 career games at defensive tackle as a Cowboy entering his junior season.  He recorded 51 total tackles, 5.5 sacks and 7.5 tackles for loss in 11 games during the 2022 season.  He was forced to miss the Boise State and Fresno State games late in the season due to injury, but returned for the Arizona Bowl.  Bertagnole was also credited with four quarterback hurries and he forced two fumbles.  A very disruptive force in the middle of the Cowboy defense, Bertagnole earned Second Team All-Conference honors from Phil Steele in 2022.

Frank Crum (Offensive Tackle) has started 36 of 43 career games at Wyoming.  He will move to left tackle in 2023 after starting at right tackle the past four seasons.  He has helped pave the way for three 1,000-yard rushing seasons by Cowboy running backs — Xazavian Valladay (2019 and 2021) and Titus Swen (2022).  Crum earned All-Conference honors in 2022 from both Pro Football Focus (Third Team) and Phil Steele (Fourth Team).

Easton Gibbs (Middle Linebacker) not only ranked No. 3 in the conference and 22nd nationally in tackles last season, at 9.3 tackles per game, but he recorded the first 100-tackle season of his career, with 121.  He became only the 61st Cowboy in the 126-year history of Cowboy Football to record 100 tackles in a single season.  Gibbs’ 121 tackles ties him for the 18th best single-season tackle total in school history with former UW linebackers Bruce Mowry (1983) and Jim Talich (1997).  Gibbs posted double figures in tackles in six games during the 2022 season.  Gibbs was named to the First Team All-Mountain West team in voting by MW head coaches and media, and was selected First Team All-MW by Phil Steele.

DeVonne Harris led Wyoming in sacks (8.0) and was second in tackles for loss (13.0) as a sophomore.  He ranked No. 8 in the Mountain West and No. 46 in the FBS in sacks, averaging 0.62 per game.  In MW conference games only, Harris ranked No. 3 in tackles for loss (1.38 per game) and ranked No. 4 in sacks (0.88 per game).  His season high in sacks was 3.0 versus Utah State, which tied for the fourth best single-game performance in the MW in 2022.  For the season, he also had six quarterback hurries, one pass breakup and one fumble return, which he returned for 44 yards vs. Boise State.  He was the sack leader of a Wyoming defensive unit that ranked No. 2 in the Mountain West and No. 21 in the nation in sacks, averaging 2.85 per game.  Harris received All-Conference recognition from Phil Steele (Fourth Team) and Mountain West head coaches and media (Honorable Mention) as a sophomore.

Phil Steele’s Second Team All-Mountain West Selections From Wyoming

Dawaiian McNeely (Running Back) rushed for 356 yards on 63 carries as a sophomore in 2022 to rank second for the Cowboys in rushing.  He played in 10 of Wyoming’s 13 games of the 2022 season, missing the season opener at Illinois and the final two games of the season versus Fresno State and vs. Ohio in the Arizona Bowl due to injury.  At 6’2″ and 208 pounds, McNeely is a big physical running back who also possesses excellent speed.  His best individual game of the season was at Hawai’i, where he rushed for 81 yards on four carries.  McNeely had a season long run of 61 yards for a touchdown in UW’s 27-20 win at Hawai’i.  He also rushed for 62 yards against New Mexico, 48 yards vs. Northern Colorado and 42 yards vs. Air Force.  His four top performances all contributed to Wyoming wins.

Treyton Welch was the only Mountain West tight end to rank in the Top 10 in the MW in TD receptions last season, with five TDs.  He tied for No. 4 in the Mountain West in TD receptions, with five total.  Welch received an “A” grade from PFF (Pro Football Focus) for the 2022 season.  He caught 22 passes for 308 yards, averaging 14.0 yards per reception.  His best game of the season was in the Arizona Bowl vs. Ohio, catching five passes for 91 yards and one TD.  His TD receptions last season went for: 14 yards vs. Air Force, 17 yards vs. Ohio, 19 yards at BYU, 29 yards at New Mexico and 47 yards at New Mexico.  Welch was named First Team All-Mountain West in 2022 by Pro Football Focus (PFF), Third Team by Phil Steele and Honorable Mention by Mountain West head coaches and media.

Phil Steele’s Third Team All-Mountain West Selections From Wyoming

Sabastian Harsh was expected to have an outstanding 2022 season after being one of Wyoming’s top special teams performers in 2021 and having an outstanding 2022 spring practice.  But Harsh was injured in preseason camp and missed the entire ’22 season.  He returned from injury to participate in spring practice in ’23 and will enter his redshirt sophomore season of 2023 back at 100 percent.  Harsh will combine with returning defensive ends DeVonne Harris and Braden Siders to form a talented trio at D-End.

Shae Suiaunoa ranked second on the Cowboy defense in tackles in 2022, with 73.  He also had six quarterback hurries, 2.5 sacks, 4.5 tackles for loss, two pass breakups and one interception.  Suiaunoa ranked No. 23 in the Mountain West in tackles as a sophomore in ’22, averaging 5.6 tackles per game.  He started all 13 games at weak-side linebacker for Wyoming as a sophomore.  He was named the MW Defensive Player of the Week for his performance versus Northern Colorado in 2022.

Phil Steele’s Fourth Team All-Mountain West Selections From Wyoming

Cole Godbout

(Nose Tackle) entered the 2022 season as a leading All-Conference candidate and the leader of the UW defensive line as a team captain and returning Honorable Mention All-Mountain West selection in 2021 as selected by Mountain West head coaches and media.  Godbout was outstanding in the first six games of the ’22 campaign, recording 32 tackles, 11 quarterback hurries, 4.5 tackles for loss and one pass breakup.  He suffered a foot injury against San Jose State that forced him to miss the final six regular-season games, before returning for the Arizona Bowl where he started and recorded his 33rd tackle of the season.  He is poised for a big year in his final season for the Cowboys.

2023 Phil Steele’s Preseason All-America Honorees

Third Team

John Hoyland, Place-kicker, 5-10, 194, Jr., Broomfield, Colo.

2023 Phil Steele’s Preseason All-Mountain West Conference Honorees

First Team

Jordan Bertagnole, 6-4, 287, Jr., Casper, Wyo.

Frank Crum, Offensive Tackle, 6-7, 315, Gr., Laramie, Wyo.

Easton Gibbs, Linebacker, 6-2, 235, Jr., Temecula, Calif.

DeVonne Harris, 6-4, 240, Jr., Big Lake, Minn.

John Hoyland, Place-kicker, 5-10, 194, Jr., Broomfield, Colo.

Second Team

Dawaiian McNeely, 6-2, 208, Jr., Ceres, Calif.

Treyton Welch, 6-3, 241, Gr., Buffalo, Minn.

Third Team

Sabastian Harsh, 6-3, 242, So., Scottsbluff, Neb.

Shae Suiaunoa, Linebacker, 6-3, 231, Jr., Houston, Texas

Fourth Team

Cole Godbout, Nose Tackle, 6-4, 290, Gr., Hudson, Wis.