The Football Brainiacs

Image via sweetwaternow.com

We have many a TFB reader who follow recruiting closely, both nationally and locally, so some of you are probably aware already of the University of Wyoming football program and their affinity for OK Preps prospects. The Wyoming staff routinely recruit within the state of Oklahoma and, in fact, will be working a camp here locally that all Oklahoma High School football players can attend. The camp will take place this Thursday (Jun. 18) at Bishop McGuiness High School (801 NW 50th St., Oklahoma City, OK). Registration begins at 12:30 and the cost of the camp is $45.

I recently had a chance to speak with Wyoming Running backs/Full backs coach Mike Bath, who also recruits the Oklahoma area. I wanted to try and get a better understand of why Wyoming likes Oklahoma prospects so much. As many of you know Wyoming head coach Craig Bohl has been successful everywhere he has been and just based on how he recruits and develops players, I expect him to also be successful at Wyoming.

The following is my conversation with Coach Bath:

TFB: Coach Bohl had tremendous success winning at North Dakota State, and Big 12 fans certainly remember him beating Kansas State on national television. What is it that he emphasizes both in recruiting and what he teaches in terms of development that allows a group of lesser known players from a place like ND State to beat a team like K-State?

MB: The question that Coach Bohl always asks, and therefore we ask as assistants, is ‘Does he fit our profile?’ Is he a tough young man? Is he passionate about playing championship football? This is, without a doubt, where it all starts for us.

Coach doesn’t care what offers a young man has, the biggest question is always ‘Does he fit us?’ It’s a refreshing perspective, and a perspective that he truly believes in. And by the results he had at NDSU, that perspective has shown it works.

Another huge factor that we as a staff look at is, in our system, with how we focus in the development of a young man, ‘What is his potential, what is his ceiling?’ We are a developmental program, a program that focuses on developing a program for the long haul, and not really looking for a quick fix. The way we practice is unique, we focus on the weight room and on nutrition. So if we are recruiting a young man, we do look at what can our system do to maximize a young man’s talents.

TFB: Some staffs like length. Some emphasize speed. What is that Wyoming looks for in the physical make up of a player?

MB: We want speed! We need speed to compete in our conference. We believe there are young men out there that have the speed that can play in the MWC, and have the same values and desires that we have here as a staff.

We would want to have players fit all the ideal measurables. But when it boils down to it, is he a football player and is he a fit for us?

It may sound repetitive, but we look for tough, passionate football players. We do like, and are recruiting length & speed, but sometimes a young man may not fit the normal measurables. I look at a young man like Kaden Jackson from Kingfisher. He doesn’t have great length, but he is tough, passionate, and his tape showed great ability. He is a football player, regardless of how tall he is.

TFB: What is that Wyoming looks for in the mental make up of a player?

MB: Toughness. Coach Bohl wants to recruit young men that have demonstrated by their play, and by their coaches recommendations, that they are tough. Everything we do is based on being mentally and physically tough. We love multi-sport guys. We love players who run track, play basketball, or wrestle in the winter. Those young men are high achievers by nature, and that is what we want to bring into our existing roster.

Focus. Coach Bohl desires to bring young men to Wyoming that have a laser like focus on winning championships and earning a degree. We ask a lot from our young men, like most all universities. Our systems are complex, college is hard. Our young men need to be driven and focused on attaining the goals and reaching the standards of our program.

TFB: If given a choice between a raw player who perhaps has a great ceiling or someone who might not have quite the ceiling but is a little more polished and ready to play, which does Wyoming prefer?

MB: Honestly, there are benefits to both having a young man who has a high ceiling and one who is polished. Over the years, Coach Bohl has had so many successes with young men like those who grow up in the upper Midwest, who have that rawness to them. With the emphasis that we place on development, we really like bringing in a young man that fits us, entrenching him in our system, and then being able to truly develop him.

TFB: Last year Wyoming signed four (Dameko Doddles, Davion Freeman, Jaylon Watson, & Kaden Jackson) players from the state of Oklahoma. In addition to already receiving a commitment from an OK Preps prospect (2016 QB Chandler Garrett), Wyoming also has extended a number of offers within the state. What is about Oklahoma talent that draws Wyoming to the state?

MB: First and foremost, it’s a great state for high school football. We truly believe it’s a state that has great coaching within the high school ranks. The young men are coached, and coached well. We also believe, and probably more importantly on our end, the young men generally are fits for us. They fit because the state of Wyoming is similar to Oklahoma. Our program is based on toughness, and Oklahoma young men are tough. They are not afraid of hard work, because it has been demanded from them growing up. The young men there in the state typically play multiple sports. And, to be honest, there has been a history of young men playing at the University of Wyoming, so there is a name recognition there with us.

TFB: As you just said, the Wyoming brand is starting to become a big deal amongst HS talent in Oklahoma. That recognized brand you mentioned. Has this been deliberate, and do you foresee continuing to recruit the state in years to come?

MB: Our focus in recruiting is going to be to develop a relationship with the high school coaches in Oklahoma. It takes time. There are a lot of great people in the schools of Oklahoma, so to answer your question, yes, it has been deliberate. We believe here that we can develop a brand in Oklahoma that means something and that has a great reputation. We want to have a presence that is consistent, where a young man can come to Wyoming and have a great experience, while being developed, earning a degree, playing championship football, and during his time here, was treated well.