Head Coach Dave Christensen announced his fifth recruiting class at Wyoming on Wednesday. The 2013 class is composed of 11 recruits on offense, 11 on defense and 1 special teams recruit. The signees include 15 high schoolers, 7 junior college transfers and 1 walk-on who was awarded a scholarship. Of the 23 that signed, 11 are already enrolled at UW for the 2013 spring semester, including four freshman and six junior college transfers.

"I think it is a great advantage to get several of this year's class in here at the semester," said Christensen. "First of all, a number of our mid-year additions are junior college players, who have already played in 20-plus games beyond the high school level, so they come to us with more experience.

"In addition to that added experience, all of the mid-year guys now have the opportunity to go through our winter-conditioning program and develop physically. They have the chance to go through spring ball and get 15 extra practices, so they will be up to speed on what we want them to do heading into the summer."

The 2013 class was recruited from 10 different states. Seven signees are from California, five from Colorado, three from Arizona and two from Illinois. One player each was signed from Wyoming, Hawai'i, Missouri, Texas, Virginia and Wisconsin.

High School Signees

Ryan Anaya LB, 6-2, 240, Fr. Casper, Wyo. (Natrona County)
Ryan Anaya helped lead his Natrona County High School team to a perfect 12-0 record and the Wyoming 4A State Championship in 2012. Anaya was named to the Casper Star-Tribune Super 25 Second Team as a senior linebacker, despite missing time at the end of the season due to injury. He also was selected to the 4A West All-Conference First Team at linebacker as a senior. Anaya had 7.5 sacks and intercepted two passes in his injury-shortened senior season. As a junior, he played tight end and linebacker and was named First Team All-State Class 4A by the Wyoming Coaches Association. He was credited with 44 total tackles, 6.0 tackles for loss, one interception, one fumble recovery and one pass breakup as a junior. He also had 11 receptions for 172 yards as a junior.
Watch video highlights of Ryan Anaya 

James Diamanti DT, 6-4, 285, Fr. Grand Junction, Colo. (Grand Junction)
James Diamanti is a 6-4, 285-pound defensive tackle from Grand Junction, Colo.  The Denver Post selected Diamanti to its 2012 First Team All-Colorado squad for all classifications his senior season at Grand Junction High.  He was also named to the Post’s Class 5A First Team All-State squad.  Class 5A is the largest classification in Colorado.  Diamanti is ranked as the No. 24 recruit in the state of Colorado in 2012 by 247Sports.com.  He was named his conference’s Player of the Year his senior season, while being credited with 88 tackles, 5.0 sacks, four forced fumbles and three recovered fumbles.
Watch video highlights of James Diamanti 

Dalton Fields DL, 6-3, 265, Fr. Colorado Springs, Colo. (Pine Creek)
Dalton Fields earned First Team All-State Class 4A honors from the Colorado Prep Report and Honorable Mention All-State Class 4A from the Denver Post as a defensive lineman his senior year. Class 4A is the second largest classification in the state of Colorado. He was also named to the Colorado Springs 5A/4A All-Area First Team. Rivals.com ranks Fields as the No. 14 recruit in the state of Colorado in 2012. 247Sports.com ranks him as the No. 19 recruit in Colorado. He was named defensive line MVP at the National Underclassmen Combine (NUC) National 5-Star Day in Los Angeles, Calif., in March of 2012.
Watch video highlights of Dalton Fields 

Tanner Gentry WR 6-2 190 Fr. Aurora, Colo. (Grandview)
Tanner Gentry has been one of the top high school football players in the state of Colorado the past two seasons. The Denver Post named him to the All-Colorado team for all classifications and First Team All-State Class 5A as a wide receiver his senior season of 2012. Gentry was also named to the Mile High Sports All-Colorado First Team as a senior. As a junior, the Denver Post selected him First Team All-State Class 5A as a defensive back. Gentry is ranked by Rivals.com as the No. 15 recruit in the state of Colorado in 2012, and is ranked by 247Sports.com as the No. 23 recruit in the state. He caught 52 passes for 1,019 yards and nine receiving touchdowns, while rushing for 169 yards on 19 carries and scoring six TDs on the ground as a senior. Gentry also intercepted six passes from his defensive back position.
Watch video highlights of Tanner Gentry 

Timmy Hayes DB 5-9 185 Fr. Los Angeles, Calif. (Crespi Carmelite)
Timmy Hayes comes to Wyoming from Crespi Carmelite High School in Encino, Calif. The Los Angeles native earned First Team All-Serra League as a running back his senior season. He helped lead Crespi to an 8-2 record in 2012, while being named his team's Most Valuable Player. He had 32 carries for 485 yards and scored five touchdowns his senior season. On defense, he was credited with 45 tackles, intercepted four passes and had six pass breakups. He earned Time Warner Player of the Game honors versus Alemany, as he rushed 20 times for 168 yards and three touchdowns,while also intercepting a pass to lead Crespi to a 29-27 victory. Hayes final TD run of the night was a 75-yarder. He has two cousins who played college football and are currently playing in the NFL. Those two cousins are running back Reggie Bush, of USC and currently the Miami Dolphins, and defensive end D'Aundre Reed, who played at the University of Arizona and is currently a member of the Minnesota Vikings.
Watch video highlights of Timmy Hayes

Tim Kamana S 5-11 185 Fr. Honolulu, Hawai'i (West Point Prep)
Tim Kamana was a mid-year signee for the Wyoming Cowboys, who enrolled at UW in January 2013. He came to Wyoming from the U.S. Military Academy Preparatory School at West Point. Kamana spent the 2012 fall semester at West Point Prep after graduating from Punahou High School in Honolulu, Hawai'i in the spring of 2012. In his senior season of 2011, he earned Third Team All-State honors as a safety and First Team All-Interscholastic League of Honolulu (ILH) accolades. As a team captain, he helped lead Punahou High to an 11-3 record and an appearance in the State Championship Game where Punahou High finished as the State Runner-up.
Watch video highlights of Tim Kamana

Taylor Knestis OL 6-5 270 Fr. Lakewood, Colo. (Lakewood)
Taylor Knestis was ranked by 247Sports.com as the No. 14 recruit in the state of Colorado as a senior in 2012. Knestis was also named to the Mile High Sports All-Colorado First Team as a senior. He was a First Team All-Jeffco Conference selection as an offensive tackle in 2012. Selected as a team captain his senior season, he didn't allow a single sack. Over his four-year career, his Lakewood High football team posted a record of 37-8.
Watch video highlights of Taylor Knestis 

Xavier Lewis DB 6-0 190 Fr. Aurora, Colo. (Eaglecrest)
Xavier Lewis was named the winner of the Denver Post's 2012 Gold Helmet Award, which signifies the state of Colorado's top senior football player, scholar and citizen each season. Lewis was named to the Post's All-Colorado team for all classifications, and the Post's Class 5A First Team as a safety. Lewis is ranked by 247Sports.com as the No. 20 recruit in the state of Colorado in 2012. He led Eaglecrest to a 7-5 record as a senior and the quarterfinals of the state playoffs. He was credited with 105 tackles, six forced fumbles and one interception in 2012. An honor student for all four years of high school, Lewis was also honored by the National Football Foundation as a Colorado Scholar-Athlete his senior year.
Watch video highlights of Xavier Lewis 

Charlie Renfree OG 6-3 283 Fr. Scottsdale, Ariz. (Brophy Prep)
Charlie Renfree earned All-State, All-Section and All-City honors both his junior and senior seasons. Renfree was ranked as the No. 34 recruit in the state of Arizona by 247Sports.com as a senior. Renfree was selected to the Arizona Division I All-State Second Team as a senior by the Arizona Republic (AZCentral.com). He led his Brophy College Prep team to a 10-3 record and the semifinals of the state playoffs.
Watch video highlights of Charlie Renfree 

Connor Riese OL 6-7 305 Fr. Schofield, Wis. (D.C. Everest)
Connor Riese is ranked by Rivals.com as a three-star recruit and the No. 14 overall recruit in the state of Wisconsin. He earned All-Area and All-Conference honors as a senior at D.C. Everest High School in Schofield, Wis. Riese was credited with 31 knock-down blocks, and converted a perfect 100 percent of his long snaps as a field-goal snapper.
Watch video highlights of Connor Riese 

Kurtis Stirneman OL 6-5 270 Fr. Lakewood, Ill. (Marian Central Catholic)
Kurtis Stirneman achieved First Team All-Area and First Team All-Conference honors his senior season at Marian Central Catholic High School in Woodstock, Ill. As a junior, he earned Honorable Mention All-Conference honors. He helped lead his Marian Central Catholic team to an 11-1 record and the quarterfinals of the state playoffs as a junior. As a senior, his Marian Catholic team posted its second consecutive 11-1 record and second consecutive appearance in the quarterfinals of the state playoffs.

Omar Stover RB 5-11 197 Fr. Bolingbrook, Ill. (Bolingbrook)
Omar Stover comes to Wyoming from Bolingbrook High School in Bolingbrook, Ill.  The 5-11, 197-pound running back was named to the 2012 Illinois Football Coaches Association All-State Team for Class 8A, the largest classification in Illinois.  Stover also earned All-Area honors his senior season.  He rushed for 1,012 yards and 12 touchdowns as a senior, while leading Bolingbrook to a 7-4 record and the second round of the state playoffs.  As a junior in 2011, he started on a Bolingbrook team that captured the State Championship with a 13-1 record.
Watch video highlights of Omar Stover 

Joshua Tapscott RB 5-9 200 Fr. Nokesville, Va. (Kettle Run)
Joshua Tapscott earned First Team Virginia AA All-State honors from VirginiaPreps.com his senior season of 2012. He was also named the Region II, Division 3 Offensive Player of the Year. Although he missed two games due to injury, he rushed for 1,278 yards and scored 16 touchdowns on 178 carries. He scored a touchdown in 20 consecutive games over his junior and senior seasons. His Kettle Run High team compiled an 11-3 record, advancing to the state semifinals. As a junior, Tapscott rushed for 1,370 yards and 18 touchdowns on 206 attempts, while earning First Team All-State honors.
Watch video highlights of Joshue Tapscott 

Tommy Thornton QB 6-1 205 Fr. Tempe, Ariz. (Marcos de Niza)
Tom Thornton, a high-school quarterback from Tempe, Ariz., signed a national letter of intent with the Wyoming Football program in February of 2012. He decided to grayshirt, meaning he chose to postpone his enrollment at the University of Wyoming until the 2013 spring semester. He is a 6-1, 205-pound, quarterback who played his high school football at Marcos de Niza High School in Tempe, Ariz. Thornton received First Team All-State Division II recognition from the Arizona Coaches Association his senior season. He also was named an Honorable Mention All-State Division II honoree by the Arizona Republic as a senior at Marcos de Niza High. Division II is the second largest classification in Arizona. Thornton threw for 2,544 yards and had 20 touchdown passes, while completing 65 percent of his passes in 2011. He added 812 rushing yards and eight rushing TDs.
Watch video highlights of Tom Thornton 

Brendan Turelli LS 6-2 240 Fr. Phoenix, Ariz. (Arcadia)
Brendan Turelli will come to Wyoming as a leading candidate to take over as the Cowboys' new long snapper. Turelli was selected to and played in the 2013 Under Armour All-America Game on Jan. 4 in St. Petersburg, Fla. He is ranked as the No. 6 long snapper recruit in the nation by Scout.com. Turelli earned All-Division, All-Section and All-City honors as a junior and senior. His junior year, his Arcadia High team advanced to the semifinals of the state playoffs with a 10-3 record.
Watch video highlights of Brendan Turelli 

Junior College Signees

Troy Boyland DT 6-2 310 Jr. Palo Alto, Calif. (College of San Mateo)
Troy Boyland is a 6-2, 310-pound defensive tackle from Palo Alto, Calif. He played two years of junior-college football at College of San Mateo in San Mateo, Calif. He is ranked as the 16th best junior-college defensive tackle recruit in the country by 247Sports.com., and also received a three-star ranking from that recruiting website.
Watch video highlights of Troy Boyland 

J.D. Krill TE 6-6 255 Jr. Mission Viejo, Calif. (Saddleback CC)
J.D. Krill is a 6-6, 255-pound tight end from Mission Viejo, Calif. Krill played two seasons of junior-college football at Saddleback Community College in Mission Viejo. He is ranked as the No. 12 best JC tight end recruit in the country by 247Sports.com. Rivals.com gives Krill a three-star rating. He caught 10 passes for 98 yards and one touchdown as a sophomore in 2012. As a freshman in 2011, Krill had five receptions for 42 yards and one touchdown.
Watch video highlights of J.D. Krill 

Jeff Lark LB 6-2 213 So. Cedar Hill, Texas (Arizona Western CC)
Jeff Lark, a 6-2, 213-pound junior-college linebacker from Arizona Western Community College in Yuma, Ariz., is joining the Cowboy Football program at the start of the 2013 spring semester. Lark is ranked by 247Sports.com recruiting website as the 17th best JC outside linebacker in the nation, and gives Lark a three-star rating. He played one season at Arizona Western in 2012, after redshirting his first season of 2011. He will have three years of eligibility at Wyoming. In 2012, Lark was credited with 62 tackles, 3.0 sacks, 5.0 tackles for loss, forced two fumbles and intercepted one pass, which he returned for a touchdown. Arizona Western posted an 8-2 record, including a 42-37 win over Nassau Community College of New York in the El Toro Bowl in Yuma, Ariz.
Watch video highlights of Jeff Lark 

Malkaam Muhammad LB 6-0 225 So. St. Joseph, Mo. (Iowa Western CC)
Malkaam Muhammad is a 6-0, 225-pound linebacker originally from St. Joseph, Mo. He is the younger brother of former Wyoming linebacker Ghaali Muhammad, who just completed his senior season with the Cowboys in 2012. The younger Muhammad played at Iowa Western Community College in 2011 and redshirted this past season of 2012. Iowa Western captured the 2012 National Junior College Athletic Association National Championship, with a perfect 12-0 record. As a freshman in 2011, Muhammad recorded 38 tackles, 2.5 tackles for loss and 0.5 sacks. Iowa Western was 9-2 in 2011, and ended the season ranked No. 7 in the final NJCAA national poll.
Watch video highlights of Malkaam Muhammad 

Albert Perez C 6-1 285 Jr. Los Angeles, Calif. (East Los Angeles CC)
Albert Perez comes to Wyoming from East Los Angeles Community College. He earned First Team All-Conference honors as a center both his freshman and sophomore seasons at East Los Angeles CC. As a sophomore, he helped lead his team to a conference championship. Perez played his high school football at Schurr High in Montebello, Calif. Both his junior and senior years of high school, he was named First Team All-Almont League, was selected as the Almont League Lineman of the Year, was selected First Team All-Mid Valley and earned First Team All-CIF honors.

Jesse Sampson S 6-0 183 Jr. Canoga Park, Calif. (College of the Canyons)
Jesse Sampson is a 6-0, 183-pound safety from Canoga Park, Calif. Sampson led his College of the Canyons team in tackles in 2012, with a total of 61 tackles in 10 games. College of the Canyons earned a bid to the Southern California Bowl to end the season, where they lost a close 21-24 game to Santa Ana College. He ranked 13th in the Southern California Football Association’s Northern Conference in tackles, averaging 6.1 tackles per game. He had 31 solo tackles and 30 assisted tackles. Sampson added 3.0 tackles for losses, one interception and two pass breakups as a sophomore for the College of the Canyons. The Cougars posted a 6-5 overall record in 2012, and won four of their last six games.
Watch video highlights of Jesse Sampson 

Jordan Stanton LB 6-0 246 Jr. Palmdale, Calif. (Los Angeles Pierce CC)
Jordan Stanton is a 6-0, 246-pound inside linebacker from Palmdale, Calif. Stanton tallied 29 tackles as a sophomore at L.A. Pierce Community College, including 21 solo tackles, eight assists, 3.0 sacks, 7.0 tackles for loss, two forced fumbles, one recovered fumble and one pass breakup. He helped lead L.A. Pierce to a 9-2 overall record, a 6-1 conference mark and a second-place finish in the Southern California Football Association Pacific Conference. L.A. Pierce won the Patriotic Bowl Championship over Mt. San Jacinto by a score of 37-34. Stanton earned Second Team All-Conference honors as a sophomore in 2012.

2012 Walk-On Awarded a Scholarship

Justin Berger WR 6-2 205 Jr. Danville, Calif. (Diablo Valley CC, Calif.)
Justin Berger was awarded a scholarship in the 2013 spring semester after walking on to the Wyoming Cowboy Football program in the summer of 2012.  Berger caught three passes for 36 yards and scored one touchdown in his first season with the Wyoming Cowboys in 2012.  His one TD reception was a critical catch at Idaho, which contributed to Wyoming's thrilling 40-37 overtime win on the road.  He came to Wyoming as a walk-on from Diablo Valley CC in Calif., where he played one season in 2011.

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