LARAMIE — Officially, Chris Prosinski is a starter, even if he considers himself just a part of a foursome at safety.
The sophomore from Buffalo, Wyo., typically downplays his expanding role in the Wyoming secondary. However, with as much depth as the Cowboys believe they have at safety, Prosinski’s rise shouldn’t be undersold.
“You know, we actually have four safeties that can play right now, and I think any one of us could start,” Prosinski said. “We’ll all get playing time, (defensive coordinator Mike) Breske is evaluating every practice, every game. But right now he just thinks for the Ohio game that me and Quincy Rogers will fit in best.”
The announcement that Prosinski provided a better fit than senior Michael Ray wasn’t that surprising, but the move itself indicated just how far Prosinski has come in such a short time.
Prosinski is the fastest option Breske has at safety, but moving him into the starting lineup displaced more than one senior — Rogers had to slide over to strong safety to open up a spot.
“We’ll go into every game and see who’s starting, but we’re not worried about that,” Prosinski said. “We’re just trying to get wins, and that’s all that matters.
“I think the depth just helps us. If you’re tired, get dinged up, we can rely on each other. And we help each other out, we can go to the sideline and ask the other guys what they’re seeing out there and it really helps to have four guys in the same system.”
Breske’s system seems to attract athletic players from in-state, and Prosinski seems to fit the mold former Rock Springs star John Wendling helped cast in the UW secondary.
Their positions aren’t exactly the same, but they both have plenty of speed, can handle coverages and can deliver a hit when it’s needed.
The trick for Breske is maximizing the opportunities not only for Prosinski, but for Ray and Derrick McMahen as well.
Down and distance will also dictate how UW handles its safety rotation, with Ray likely to assist more against the run.
