Evan Eller Has Reaped the Benefits of Self-Imposed Redshirt

LARAMIE -- Evan Eller has no regrets.

Well, maybe one.

"If I could have played in this defense for four or five seasons, I could have been flying around even faster than what I was last year," the senior linebacker said on Wednesday in Laramie, just moments after competing in Wyoming's annual NFL Pro Day.

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While he cherished his three seasons at the Virginia Military Institute -- a program that he appeared in 40 games for at the safety position, tallying 235 career tackles and earning All-SoCon honors -- Eller admits his growth would've been fast tracked at the FBS level.

That could've proven valuable as he ran through drills in front of the 20 scouts in attendance inside the Cowboys' indoor practice facility.

While his future in football is still very much up in the air, it's Eller's past decision that led him to this all-important audition.

The 6-foot, 230-pound Roanoke product sidelined himself after playing in the team's first four games during the 2024 campaign. He decided to take a redshirt season, giving himself a chance to not only learn the scheme and a brand-new position but also rebuild his body for the role.

That's not all.

Shae Suiaunoa and Connor Shay were returning to the lineup for their senior seasons. Their backups, Read Sunn and Cole DeMarzo, were also veterans. That meant playing time would be at a premium, at best.

Eller said he didn't want to cap his college career as a reserve.

"It was super hard, because, shoot, I had gone from starting three straight seasons and playing damn near every snap to watching on the sidelines with just a sweatshirt and a jersey on with no pads," he said. "I just kind of had to take it on the chin and do what was best for me."

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Jay Sawvel was in total agreement.

Eller wouldn't see much playing time and, once that crop of linebackers walked across the stage to snag their diploma, the then first-year head coach was going to find himself with a major "youth" problem at the position the following fall.

It was a win-win.

"He wanted to do it," Sawvel said. "When you get to that point, you know, it's like, 'OK, I'm not going to force a guy to play when he doesn't want to, you know what I mean?' So, I looked at that. I thought that, based on where we were going to be at from an experience standpoint in that room, this would help us. So, yeah, I think that was a good move."

To say the least.

Eller, who was named a team captain in the offseason, registered 74 tackles, which was second most behind only outside linebacker Brayden Johnson, who finished with 81. He also tacked on a pair of sacks, forced a fumble and recovered another.

He also picked off a pass in the Cowboys' home opener against Northern Iowa.

"It was just a huge, I would say, relief," Eller said, flashing a smile. "I just kind of proved myself right. It just built my confidence up every single game, from Akron all the way to Hawaii game, I felt like I was earning the trust of my teammates and my coaches every snap I was on the field.

"That's all I really wanted."

- University of Wyoming’s Top 50 Football Players