LARAMIE — The Border War starts long before the Boot is run up U.S. 287, long before Wyoming and Colorado State charge onto the field and long before one team raises the Bronze Boot into the air. It starts every spring when a fresh group of recruits is introduced.
New Wyoming coach Dave Christensen and his staff hit the recruiting trail just four weeks ago, with their last recruit committing Sunday. The payoff was 24 recruits, including six from Colorado.
“I would hope all those Colorado coaches are seeing what’s going on at Wyoming,” said defensive coordinator Marty English, the only remaining member of former coach Joe Glenn’s staff. “If we are going to go down and get obviously some of the best kids out of Colorado, and they are going to pass them by, good for us, bad for them.”
Wyoming plays at Colorado, Colorado State and Air Force in 2009.
Wide receivers coach Dan Hammerschmidt, a former Colorado State player and coach, said Wyoming and CSU never need anything extra to play for the Bronze Boot.
“I don’t think we need a whole lot of boost for the Border War,” Hammerschmidt said. “Any kid who goes back to their home state is going to want to play well there.”
The Cowboys added two quarterbacks. Austyn Carta-Samuels from San Jose, Calif., had made an oral commitment to San Jose State, but decided to follow Marcus Arroyo, the Cowboys’ offensive coordinator who had the same job at San Jose State. Wyoming also signed Robert Benjamin from Phoenix Community College.
“What happens between now and then (fall camp) has yet to be determined,” Arroyo said. “Austyn and Robert have been recruited to come in and compete right away.”
Said Christensen: “Right now all we have is a vision to sell them. We have made it known that we are going to go anywhere that we can to get the best players in the country to compete for a Mountain West Conference championship.”
