Five former Wyoming Cowboys signed as NFL undrafted free agents

Now the super senior is taking the road less traveled to join the Buffalo Bills superstar quarterback in the AFC East.

Abojei, who did not hear his name called during last weekend’s draft, has been invited to the Miami Dolphins’ rookie minicamp later this month.

The versatile 6-foot-5, 330-pound Abojei played guard and both tackle positions during his six seasons with the Pokes.

“It definitely has been a blessing coming back this season,” Abojei said in November after a successful transition to left tackle during his final run with the Cowboys. “I wouldn’t have wanted it any other way, especially with the group of guys I’ve been able to work with.”

Due to a lack of seniors and draft prospects, UW did not hold a pro day this spring. Abojei worked out for some NFL scouts at the High Altitude Performance Center.

Several other former Pokes will also get NFL opportunities as undrafted free agents.

Titus Swen, who rushed for 1,039 yards and eight touchdowns in 2022, signed with the Indianapolis Colts.

After being kicked off the team by UW head coach Craig Bohl after the loss to Fresno State in the regular-season finale, Swen put his name in the transfer portal before deciding to turn pro. His signing bonus with the Colts was a paltry $3,000, according to the Indianapolis Star.

Swen’s predecessor, Xazavian Valladay, fared much better on the open market.

Valladay, who finished his UW career second on the all-time rushing list (3,274 yards) and used his extra year of eligibility to rush for 1,192 more yards and 16 touchdowns at Arizona State, signed a three-year, $2.7 million contract with the Houston Texans. According to the NFL Network, the deal includes $175,000 in guaranteed money.

After transferring from UW to Power 5 programs following the 2021 season, cornerbacks CJ Coldon (Oklahoma) and Azizi Hear (UCLA) were signed as undrafted free agents this week with the Minnesota Vikings and Las Vegas Raiders, respectively.

Bohl promotes Giles

UW assistant Oscar Giles was promoted to the position of associated head coach and head freshman coach by Bohl on Monday. The former Texas assistant will still coach the team’s defensive tackles and nose tackles and retains the defensive run-game coordinator title.

Giles, known as an elite recruiter in the Lone Star State, replaced Pete Kaligis last year when the longest tenured assistant in program history left UW to join Jake Dickert’s staff at Washington State.

Portal update

The portal closed pretty quietly for the Pokes on Sunday.

Max Jones, a walk-on running back from Fort Collins, is the only known UW player to seek a transfer since the conclusion of the spring game.

Redshirt freshman Caden Becker, who switched from quarterback to defensive end during the spring, entered the portal on April 15 and announced Monday he is walking on at Nebraska as an H-back/tight end.

Only eight of the 16 scholarship players that left UW via the portal since the end of the 2022 season have found new landing spots.