Young Cowboy defensive ends look to contribute next season

LARAMIE, Wyo. (AP) - Neither Carl Granderson nor Kevin Prosser was expected to play a significant role in 2015.

Yet, following a flurry of injuries, departures and otherwise, the pair of true freshmen defensive ends wound up filling key reserve spots for Wyoming.

The downside: The learning curve is steep for any first-year player.

The upside: They each had someone to relate to throughout the season.

"We obviously go through the same things," Prosser said. "We were both true freshmen. We play the same position. He might as well be my roommate as much as I see him. We make sure we're on top of everything. We're both grinding together. That's my brother, you know?"

Together, Granderson and Prosser are primed to take on larger roles as sophomores with the departures of seniors Eddie Yarbrough and Siaosi Hala'api'api.

Both are listed atop the current depth chart; Granderson at left end and Prosser at right.

Both were undersized in 2015, with Granderson at 6-foot-5 and 200 pounds and Prosser at 6-2 and 197.

Granderson added 27 pounds during the winter, while Prosser is up 18.

Come fall, both are expected to provide increased size and impact for the Cowboys.

"I've told them, you're not freshmen, and not even sophomores," UW defensive ends coach AJ Cooper said. "The way you carry yourselves has to be more like juniors. That's a big challenge for an 18-, 19-year old. That's the type of load they've got to take on their shoulders."

In 2015, Granderson finished seventh on the team in tackles with 36, including six for loss, which tied for third-most. Prosser, whose role expanded as the season progressed, recorded six tackles with one for loss.

"If we can get another 5 or 10 (pounds) on (Granderson) and hold that during the season, he's going to be hard for people to handle just because he's got length, he's got great snap," Cooper said.

"With Kevin, we're really developing a great foundation of base fundamentals," he said of Prosser, who moved from linebacker to defensive end early last season. "He's doing some really great things as a pass rusher as well."

By the start of the season, Granderson aims to reach 235 pounds, while Prosser hopes to get up to 230.

Cooper is well aware that both need to add lean muscle to handle a heavy load of snaps over the course of 12 or more games.

Yet, he also recognizes that the duo possesses traits that larger linemen lack.

"That's what we're really excited about," Cooper said. "We've got two guys that can really come off the edge this year. Everybody can talk about weight - weight's great - but we've got two guys that can run, which is good. Now, we've got to bring the other parts of the game around so we can get to third down so we can pass rush."

And that's where the weight portion comes in.

In order to enjoy opportunities to pass rush, Granderson and Prosser need to help put opponents in third-and-long situations.

"They're making some plays when it's a finesse play," UW coach Craig Bohl said. "They've got really good speed and explosion. We're still a little light in the britches.

"I think we're going to have to learn how to play some run fundamentals a little bit better. It's a long time until our first game, but that's going to be an important portion for them to improve on."

And so this spring and summer, Granderson and Prosser plan to continue to add weight and settle into Wyoming's defense.

There's a chance they could bookend the Pokes' line for the next three seasons.

"That's the nice part about young guys: The sky's the limit for them," Cooper said. "I'd hate to put a label on them. They've got a chance, they've got potential to be really good."

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Information from: Casper (Wyo.) Star-Tribune, http://www.trib.com