LARAMIE — Caleb Robinson was having the best offseason of his collegiate career, according to Jay Sawvel.
Now, that’s all over.
“We did have one loss,” Wyoming’s rookie head coach said following Thursday’s practice in Laramie. “… He was really, really, really playing well. He’ll have a surgery here coming up in a little bit, so you feel for him.”
Though Sawvel failed to get into specifics, Robinson is the first player to suffer a known season-ending injury during spring camp.
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MORE UW FOOTBALL NEWS VIA 7220SPORTS:
* Wyoming’s Kaden Anderson proving to be worth the wait
* Mental, physical hurdles no longer hampering Sabastian Harsh
* Wyoming QB Carson May to Enter NCAA Transfer Portal
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* 5 Takeaways From Wyoming’s Open Spring Scrimmage
* Svoboda, Gyllenborg: ‘We’re blessed that they are here’
* Air Force loss last fall still not sitting well with these Pokes
The 6-foot-2, 286-pound defensive tackle appeared in 10 games last fall, registering just nine total tackles, as he made his way back from an offseason car accident that left him with “significant injuries” — both physically and mentally — Robinson told the Casper Star Tribune last August.
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“I’m still recovering from the injuries to this day, which is one of the reasons why I haven’t been getting as many reps as I usually do,” Robinson told the CST last fall. “It’s a little bit of a drain with that type of traumatizing car accident, but I’ll get back to it. By the season I should be there.
“Even now, I feel confident enough to keep pushing forward, although it hurts and all that other stuff. Time waits for no man. I’ll keep pushing.”
A native of Omaha, Neb., Robinson chose Wyoming after Nebraska and South Dakota State kicked the tires on the First team All-Metro selection from Burke High School.
He played in two games as a true freshman during the 2020 season and became a regular in the rotation the following season, tallying 17 tackles from the Cowboys’ interior. He added 14 more stops during his sophomore year while sharing time with Cole Godbout and Jordan Bertagnole.
“I say at times, you know, I love this kid and I love that kid — a lot of it has to do with the fact that I spend a lot of time with them in their workouts, seeing them year round and things of that nature,” Sawvel said. “So, you know, those things are hard sometimes when a guy puts so much into it and then has to have something like that happen.”
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MORE UW FOOTBALL NEWS VIA 7220SPORTS:
* Cowboys Entering Week 4 of Spring Camp
* Three Wyoming football players officially enter transfer portal
* Could Alex Conn slide into Wyoming starting front five?
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* Ian Bell Leads Wyoming’s Youth Movement in Secondary
* Sam Scott could be Mr. Do Everything in Pokes’ new-look offense
* What jersey numbers are the new guys wearing?
* Pokes Practice Report: Sawvel era of to ‘refreshing’ start
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If Robinson opts for a medical redshirt, he will have two seasons of eligibility remaining.
Gavin Meyer, along with Bertagnole, Ben Florentine, Jayden Williams and Jaden Williams, among others, are expected to vie for playing time this fall.
The Cowboys will be back on the practice field this Saturday afternoon in Laramie. Wyoming’s annual spring game will take place seven days later at East High School in Cheyenne. Kickoff is scheduled for 1 p.m.
University of Wyoming’s Top 50 Football Players
The rules are simple: What was the player’s impact while in Laramie? That means NFL stats, draft status or any other accolade earned outside of UW is irrelevant when it comes to this list.
This isn’t a one-man job. This task called for a panel of experts. Joining 7220’s Cody Tucker are Robert Gagliardi, Jared Newland, Ryan Thorburn, and Kevin McKinney.
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We all compiled our own list of 50 and let computer averages do the work. Think BCS — only we hope this catalog is fairer.
Don’t agree with a selection? Feel free to sound off on our Twitter: @7220sports – #Top50UWFB
Oil City News publishes letters, cartoons and opinions as a public service. The content does not necessarily reflect the opinions of Oil City News or its employees. Letters to the editor can be submitted by following the link at our opinion section.
Wyoming Sun Bucks is a net gain for children, families
Dear Casper,
Rep. Ken Pendergraft’s recent column opposing the Sun Bucks program raises concerns about cost, but it does so in a way that risks giving readers an incomplete picture.
It is true that the Department of Family Services requested approximately $3.5 million for startup and operations. However, that figure represents a combined state and federal investment, split evenly. Wyoming’s share is half of that — and more importantly, those dollars are not intended to purchase food directly. They fund the administrative framework required to deliver federally funded benefits to eligible children.
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Those responsibilities are not trivial. They include verifying eligibility, processing applications, maintaining technology systems, preventing fraud and ensuring benefits are accurately distributed. Without that infrastructure, the program simply cannot function, and no child would receive assistance.
The initial startup cost of $1.6 million covers one-time expenses such as building the IT system, setting up application processing, contracting with the EBT vendor that issues and loads benefit cards, and establishing temporary staffing and support systems to serve families statewide. This is not “an office for one person,” but the foundation of a program designed to reach roughly 32,000 children.
Once operational, the ongoing cost to Wyoming is estimated at about $483,000 per year in state funds. In return, the program would deliver approximately $3.84 million annually in federal food benefits to Wyoming children. That is a significant net gain for families across the state.
While the article emphasizes administrative expenses, it overlooks the scale of the benefit those costs unlock. The question is not whether administration exists — it must — but whether the outcome justifies the investment. In this case, a relatively modest state contribution enables millions in direct food assistance to flow into Wyoming communities.
Reasonable people can debate the role of government programs. But that debate should be grounded in a full accounting of both costs and benefits. When viewed in that light, the Sun Bucks program is less about bureaucracy and more about whether Wyoming chooses to participate in a federally funded effort to help ensure children have access to food during the summer months.
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Mike Thompson, Chairman of the Department of Family Services Oversight Council Evansville
Wyoming GOP endorsement of candidates
Dear Casper,
I have read about the plans for the Wyoming Republican party to endorse specific candidates in the upcoming primary election. It is my understanding that the state law currently prevents the Wyoming Republican party from officially endorsing a candidate. I agree with the party’s position that this is not in keeping with the party and its members’ First Amendment right to free speech.
However, I think that the party should be careful in exercising this right. As the purpose of the primary election is to select the candidate that the majority of the registered Republican party members feel is best suited for the position, it feels like there could be a conflict of interest in explicitly endorsing a specific candidate without receiving the input from all of the registered members of the party.
Without seeking the input of the entire Republican electorate, how will the party itself provide a fair and accurate endorsement of a candidate? I certainly hope that the party leadership is not intending to offer an endorsement on behalf of the entire party based simply on what they (the leadership) might believe. To offer such an endorsement without seeking the input from all of the party members would be anti-democratic and would invoke Orwellian images of the party which, rather than listening to and responding to the input from the party members, would tell the party members what they should think.
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If the members of the party leadership wish to offer an endorsement, they should do so as individuals and should not presume to speak for the entire membership of the party, at least not before the entire Republican electorate has had a chance to provide input regarding a party-level endorsement.
To circumvent this problem, I would recommend that the Republican party hold a vote among all of its registered members to determine whom the party ought to endorse. Maybe we could hold an event where polling places are established, where party members can go to indicate their preference for that endorsement. This would provide a fair and democratic method to ensure that the Republican party’s endorsement reflects the will of the party members.
I think that there might be an event similar to what I have described scheduled for Aug. 18. Maybe the party could do more or less the same thing for their endorsement event — or just wait until then.
The 2026 Wyoming High School boys’ soccer season is close to its finish. Only three weeks remain. 4A teams will conclude the regular season, as they jockey for positions going into next week’s regional tournaments. Meanwhile, 3A schools have this week and next week left in the regular season. They are trying to reach the top four of the league standings, as those are the teams that qualify for the state tournament in two weeks.
WYOPREPS WEEK 8 BOYS SOCCER SCHEDULE 2026
Three matches this week feature ranked opponents squaring off. Sheridan will host Thunder Basin on Friday. In 3A on Saturday, top-ranked Cody is at No. 5 Mountain View, and four-rated Torrington goes to No. 2 Buffalo. Just like the ladies, you have some rivalry matches on the schedule with Rock Springs-Green River, Jackson-Star Valley, and Thunder Basin-Campbell County. Wednesday will bring new soccer rankings. This is the boys’ schedule for Week 8. Schedules are subject to change.
TUESDAY, MAY 5:
CLASS 4A
Final Score:#2 Sheridan 2 Campbell County 1 (conference match)
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Final Score:Riverton 3 Natrona County 1 (conference match)
CLASS 3A
Pinedale at Rawlins – postponed to May 11 – changed to May 9 for boys’ match only!
Send a Soccer Score to WyoPreps, please!
WEDNESDAY, MAY 6:
CLASS 4A
Laramie at Cheyenne Central – postponed to May 9
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Cheyenne South at Cheyenne East – postponed to May 9
Send a Soccer Score to WyoPreps, please!
Read More Soccer News from WyoPreps
WyoPreps Boys Soccer Standings on 5-4-26
WyoPreps Week 7 Boys Soccer Scores 2026
WyoPreps Coaches and Media Soccer Polls 4-29-26
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Nominate a Boys Soccer Player for WyoPreps Athlete of the Week
WyoPreps Week 6 Boys Soccer Scores 2026
WyoPreps Coaches & Media Soccer Polls 4-22-26
WyoPreps Boys Soccer Standings on 4-20-26
WyoPreps Week 5 Boys Soccer Scores 2026
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WyoPreps Coaches & Media Soccer Polls 4-15-26
WyoPreps Week 4 Boys Soccer Scores 2026
WyoPreps Week 3 Boys Soccer Scores 2026
WyoPreps Week 2 Boys Soccer Scores 2026
WyoPreps Week 1 Boys Soccer Scores 2026
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THURSDAY, MAY 7:
CLASS 4A
Final Score: #1 Jackson 8 Star Valley 2 (conference match)
Final Score: #4 Thunder Basin 3 Campbell County 1 (conference match)
Final Score:Rock Springs 2 #5 Green River 1 (conference match)
Send a Soccer Score to WyoPreps, please!
FRIDAY, MAY 8:
CLASS 4A
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Final Score:Cheyenne Central 6 Cheyenne South 0 (conference match)
Final Score:#2 Sheridan 3 #4 Thunder Basin 1 (conference match)
Final Score:#2 Kelly Walsh 6 Riverton 0 (conference match)
Final Score: Laramie 3 Cheyenne East 1 (conference match)
Final Score:Evanston 2 Natrona County 2 – TIE (conference match) – Red Devils scored with 1 second left for the draw.
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CLASS 3A
Final Score:#4 Worland 1 Rawlins 0 (conference match) – Kobe Bradshaw scored the GW goal on a PK in the 1st half.
