LARAMIE — What time is it?

Jay Sawvel looked at his watch-less left wrist Tuesday evening before peering to his right at the wall inside Wyoming’s team meeting room. There, two digital clocks — with two different times — glared in red.

“We got two clocks in this building because one of them never keeps the time the right way,” the third-year head coach joked before getting back to his original point.

“By 6:30 or 6:45, he’s probably back upstairs watching everything from practice today,” Sawvel said at 5:48 … or 5:53, whichever clock you want to trust. “That’s first and foremost what you really like to see.”

He’s referring to quarterback Tyler Hughes, who just completed his first practice in a Cowboy uniform.

The graduate transfer from William and Mary was on target in the passing game the majority of the afternoon, sharing reps with Gillette’s Mason Drube. Where he really raised eyebrows, though, was on a broken play midway through the 20-period workout inside War Memorial Stadium.

The 6-foot, 210-pound Georgia native eluded the oncoming pass rush and stepped up in the pocket before tucking the ball under his right arm and bolting right down the middle of the field.

Sure, you aren’t supposed to tackle the signal caller in this scenario under any circumstances, but Sawvel still thought he had a chance to go the distance either way.

“I told (defensive coordinator) Aaron Bohl that on one of the plays today, we did lose contain, and the next thing you know, it would have been a 35-yard play because we were in man coverage. A bunch of guys had their backs turned,” he said with a smile and a slight head shake. “It’s going to be hard to play a lot of man against Tyler Hughes — and even Mason — but especially with Tyler.

“That guy can roll. If you lose a rush lane, you’re now at risk, because really, on any given play, he might be the fastest guy on the field.”

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Hughes was the first QB in William and Mary’s program history to throw for more than 2,300 yards and rush for an additional 650 in a single season. He also tossed 20 touchdowns and found the end zone 11 more times on the ground.

Wyoming’s starting quarterbacks in 2025 combined for 79 yards on 74 rushing attempts. Kaden Anderson, who started all 12 games, finished with minus-39 on the ground on 43 of those rushes. He was also sacked 14 times to the tune of 119 lost yards.

Anderson entered the transfer portal and is now at Tarleton State.

Hughes brings an entirely different element to this offense.

“That dude can move,” left tackle Rex Johnsen said Tuesday, adding that Hughes’ mobility could also lead to way less damage behind the line of scrimmage. “I’m excited to watch him take off down the sideline.”

Sawvel has said multiple times this offseason he can’t get Hughes to leave the building. Though he couldn’t watch himself — believe it or not, the NCAA still has a rule or two — the head man saw the lights on inside the stadium late one Friday night.

It was a handful of receivers, running routes for Hughes.

“He’s really professional,” wideout Eric Richardson said on Tuesday as he walked toward Jonah Field. “Before our walkthrough today, he was in the film room for an hour. Guy is dedicated.”

Sawvel said he liked the way the ball came out of Hughes’ hand in his first practice, which included some breezy conditions. He liked his movement in the pocket. Mainly, though, he praised his presence.

“I’m glad he’s here,” he said with a smile.

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– University of Wyoming’s Top 50 Football Players