Craig Bohl on WILL linebacker spot: 'I'm excited about Easton'

LARAMIE -- Remember Easton Gibbs' first career start?

That came last December in a blinding high plains snow storm against Boise State, the school the freshman once dreamed of attending.

Craig Bohl certainly hasn't forgotten it.

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"He made 13 tackles," Wyoming's head coach reminded the media Monday evening in the north end zone of War Memorial Stadium.

He sure did. Eight of them were of the solo variety, too.

Quietly, the Temecula, Calif., product finished third on the team in tackles with 42. Only middle linebacker Chad Muma (71) and safety Esaias Gandy (43) had more.

Gibbs will be penciled in as the Cowboys' No. 1 outside linebacker after Charles Hicks announced Monday morning that he would be entering the NCAA Transfer Portal. Bohl said he is excited for the opportunity that awaits Gibbs.

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"We feel really good about how he's playing," Bohl said. "We went in and evaluated everything. That's what we do as coaches. One guy came up on top of the depth chart.

"... We're going to play the best guy."

Bohl didn't speak specifically about Hicks and his decision to transfer -- he never does -- but he did say depth could now be somewhat of a challenge at the WILL spot. Shae Suiaunoa did register eight tackles from the linebacker spot in 2020. Other than that, experience is limited -- youth isn't.

"We'll make do," Bohl added.

Here are the other linebackers on the roster: Brady Bohlinger (Fr. 6-2, 226), Buck Coors (Fr. 5-11, 178), Keonte Glinton (R-Fr. 6-0, 179), Blake Harrington (So. 5-11, 183), Jovan Marsh (Fr. 5-11, 170), Tommy McEvoy (Fr. 6-2, 195), Chad Muma (Jr. 6-3, 242), Sam Scott (Fr. 6-2, 215), Connor Shay (Fr. 6-2, 210), Shae Suiaunoa (R-Fr. 6-3, 227), Read Sunn (Fr. 6-2, 232), Brent VanderVeen (Fr. 6-2, 220), Tommy Wroblewski (Fr. 6-2, 185).