Wyoming’s Unknown Pass Rusher Looking to Become Household Name

LARAMIE -- Self-made. Motor. Passion.

Those descriptors came from the mouths of Wyoming coaches and teammates when the name Ethan Day was brought up.

Who?

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This little-known edge rusher from Copperopolis, Calif., quietly strolled on to campus in the spring of 2023. There was no fanfare. Heck, not even a press release. Day, though named Honorable Mention All-Valley Conference, was coming off a single season at Modesto Community College where he registered just 16 tackles, including six for loss, and three sacks in nine games.

Who found this guy?

Well, no one.

"I texted Gordie (Haug) my junior year of high school and no response," he said with a smile, referring to the school's recruiting coordinator. "I'd always send him my film. Like, once a week. Then I finally get to JUCO then he kind of notices me. He said to come out here and check it out one time and I loved it."

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Haug wasn't the only one to whiff on the versatile star at Ripon High School.

Day's phone wasn't ringing despite tallying 70 tackles, five forced fumbles and the same number of quarterback takedowns during his senior season. He was also a standout on offense, lining up as a slot receiver and running back in the Indians' Wing-T attack.

Day earned All-Region honors and was selected to play in the 2022 Bay Area Cali Classic Senior Bowl. He was named the Defensive MVP of that contest. He also earned the title Outstanding Defensive Player of the Trans-Valley League.

Still, nothing.

In fact, Day doesn't even have a recruiting profile on 247sports.com. The Rivals.com lists Wyoming as his lone offer.

He jumped all over that.

Jay Sawvel is now certainly glad he did.

"I tell you, he's doing really, really well," the Cowboys rookie head coach said. "The biggest compliment that I can give him right now is, there are a number of plays on video, time and time again, where the first thing that you ask is, 'Was that (Braden) Siders or was that Day? And the fact that you can't tell is a really, really good sign."

Siders is a junior with 62 tackles, nine sacks and three pass breakups on his limited résumé. Day appeared in just two games last fall, failing to register a stat.

"It's great to see because he's a veteran here," Day said, adding that defensive ends coach Brian Hendricks also often confuses the two. "... It's very exciting. I mean, at first, I was just a nobody here. Then you kind of start growing, working out here, getting better and learning the playbook. It's definitely helped. You can see on the field, it shows when you know what you're doing, it's easy to make plays."

DeVonne Harris has witnessed that growth up close.

The sixth-year senior isn't afraid to admit it, even he has learned some pass-rushing moves from this explosive youngster.

"He has grown a lot, like, from when he first got here to now. You wouldn't believe it," Harris said of the 6-foot-4, 255-pound sophomore. "He knows the entire defense and he's playing like he's played for five years now. You know, his moves, like, you don't think you'd see that from a guy who's in his third year. His pass-rush moves are one of our top best.

"He's really good. He's getting there. He's still got a little ways to go, but I'm excited to see what he can do."

Harris isn't alone.

"He has worked himself so hard to become a really good athlete," Sawvel added. "He's very strong. He's over 250 pounds and he's got a tremendous motor. So, you put all that in combination, I mean, he's going to be playing for us. This isn't going to be, you write something down about him and then you'll just flat forget, he's going to be playing for us."

Day led the Cowboys with six tackles, two sacks and a stop behind the line of scrimmage during the annual spring game.

Call it his coming-out party. He calls it a product of obsession.

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Admittedly, he was never a big note taker. He learned on the fly, picking up techniques from guys like Sabastian Harsh. That practice is a thing of the past. Now, he's in full critique mode, watching his hand and hip placement. Where was his pad level? How can he improve?

He even spends extra time after workouts with offensive tackle Caden Barnett. The two go over different scenarios and take additional reps, bouncing ideas off one another. Day also spends his days studying NFL ends like Joey Bosa, TJ Watt and Maxx Crosby.

All of this work for one cause.

"Pass rushing is my favorite thing to do," Day said, again flashing that wide grin. "Getting sacks. I mean, nothing makes you smile more than getting sacks."

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