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LAS VEGAS – The University of Wyoming football team often has been the underdog since the Mountain West's first year in 1999. The Cowboys have fed off that underdog mentality to prove people wrong and finish better than expected.

For example, they were picked to finish last in the Mountain Division in 2016, but won it.

However, expectations are higher this season, for both the team and certain players. The media picked UW to finish second behind Boise State in the division, which was announced Tuesday at The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas as part of the MW Media Summit.

It is the highest UW has been picked to finish in league history. Boise State was the unanimous pick to win the division.

Individually, three UW defensive players were named to the preseason All-MW team: senior safety Andrew Wingard, senior defensive end Carl Granderson and redshirt junior defensive tackle Youhanna Ghaifan. All three were first-team All-MW picks last season. Wingard is a two-time first-team All-MW selection.

The UW trio was also named to the Bronko Nagurski Award watch list as the best defensive player in college football. UW has never had three players on that watch list. Ghaifan also was named to the Outland Trophy watch list as one of college football's top interior linemen.

Quite the preseason accolades for a program that isn't used to it, but has won eight games each of the last two seasons and returns eight starters to what many project to be one of the best defenses in the MW and the country in 2018.

"We haven't arrived yet. We will when we win a championship," Wingard said. "We had two good years, but we have to keep our edge, and that's what I've been preaching to all the guys. We're two-star guys with one (Football Bowl Subdivision) offer, rather than first-team all-conference guys on all of these preseason watch lists. I think that mentality is still there."

Granderson and Wingard attended this year's media summit with fifth-year coach Craig Bohl. They returned to Laramie Tuesday night. Players report for fall camp Thursday, with the first practice Friday.

"As seniors, we want to set the tone for everyone else, and the tone is it is time to get to work," Granderson said.

Johnson doubtful

Bohl said it is doubtful redshirt junior wide receiver C.J. Johnson will play this season due to a knee injury suffered in UW's 37-14 Potato Bowl victory over Central Michigan last December.

"I was told that the earliest he would be cleared would be the first part of December," Bohl said. "His knee injury had a lot of other damage other than the ACL tear. The length of recovery is longer, but he has a real positive attitude."

Johnson led the team with seven receiving touchdowns in 2017, and was second with 30 catches for 531 yards.

Bohl said junior wide receiver John Okwoli, who injured a knee in practice prior to the bowl game, will be ready for the start of camp. Last season, Okwoli had 12 catches for 137 yards and one touchdown.

Woods ready

Earlier in the summer, Bohl said sophomore running back Trey Woods would miss the season with a shoulder injury suffered during the spring. However, Bohl said Tuesday that Woods is "ahead of the curve and should be ready for the opening game," which is Aug. 25 at New Mexico State.

Woods led UW in rushing last season with 493 yards.

Bohl said redshirt junior running back Kellen Overstreet (shoulder) may be limited early in camp, but also should be ready for the season opener.

Redshirt senior Nico Evans will receive a lot of reps at running back during camp. And, Bohl said two true freshmen – Reow Jackson and Jevon Bigelow – will also have their share of reps.

Bohl said redshirt sophomore running back Mike Green has left the team for personal reasons and hopes to transfer to a Football Championship Subdivision school.

Green, who is from Sacramento, California, had four carries for minus-2 yards last season.

Newcomers

Bohl said all of the new signees will be available for camp.

Aside from running back, wide receiver and cornerback are areas where UW coaches will take a hard look to see if any newcomers can help the team.

"Every year, we get a little more mature in our approach, so I think you will see more of these freshmen play," Bohl said.

Bohl added the new redshirt rule this year, which allows teams to play true freshmen as many as four games and still be able to redshirt them, will allow UW and other teams to bolster their depth this season.

From summer workouts, Granderson said true freshman defensive end Soloman Byrd impressed him with his size (6-foot-4, 220 pounds). Wingard said Bigelow "looked like a defensive lineman to me when I first saw him. He looks college ready." Bigelow was listed at 6-2, 195 when he signed in December.

Other injury news

Bohl said sophomore defensive tackle/nose tackle Javaree Jackson (back) could play near the end of the season, but is definitely out for the beginning of it.

Bohl added that redshirt junior defensive end Josiah Hall (blood clot) will be limited at the start of camp, but should be ready for the season opener.