Jayden Williams is Bringing ‘Controlled Chaos’ to Pokes’ Front Four

LARAMIE -- He's a self-admitted mama's boy.

His radiant smile is warm, inviting. The jokes come easy, too.

Between the white lines, though, Jayden Williams isn't exactly easy going or light-hearted. If you watched the Cowboys' second open scrimmage of the spring inside War Memorial Stadium, you got a glimpse.

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The 6-foot-3, 285-pound defensive tackle made light work of an opposing interior lineman before crashing into quarterback Gage Brook on the final snap of the afternoon. Acting right tackle Forrest Scheel came to the signal caller's defense. A brief shoving match ensued.

"When I get angry on the field, I really do get mad," Williams said, flashing that grin of his. "It's like a completely different person. It's like a switch almost."

What did his head coach think of the skirmish?

"Oh, heck yeah," Jay Sawvel said when asked if he liked the extracurricular activities. "They should've blocked Jayden. I mean, he ran over the guy. Jayden didn't do anything wrong. If you want to keep him from hitting the quarterback, keep him out of there.

"I'm a big fan of Jayden Williams."

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The Bryan, Texas product already had plans on making life miserable for offensive linemen and QB's this fall, but the loss of fellow tackle Caleb Robinson to a season-ending injury last week has only fast tracked that objective.

Williams got a small taste in 2023, appearing in one game during his true freshman season. That came inside Darrell K. Royal Stadium in Austin, just 102 miles from his hometown. On the Longhorns' final offensive possession of the night, Williams hammered running back Jaydon Blue, forcing a fumble. Wyoming's Tyrecus Davis jumped on the loose ball.

That was his one stat of the season.

That, he said, is just a precursor of what's to come.

"I definitely feel like I can contribute right away. I believe I can," Williams said. "... When I'm confident, it shows. It's like a complete difference on film. In the scrimmage, I showed out. I'm really close."

Sawvel agrees wholeheartedly.

"We have the GPS bugs on everybody, he had the second fastest speed on the team that day and he's 285 pounds. So, I'm really excited about what his future is. I'm really excited about what his present is. Now, he's got a lot of work to do, you know, fundamentally, and some things like that, but he's putting in the work and has a high level of care."

Washington State recruited Williams out of Rudder High School. So did UTEP. That came during a senior season that saw the former linebacker earn second-team All-District honors after a move to the trenches.

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He tallied 78 total tackles, including 11.5 sacks and five more stops behind the line of scrimmage. Williams, who was also a track standout along with a heavyweight wrestler with an overall record of "40-something and four" during his final year, added a fumble recovery and a pass breakup.

He did all that with a smile -- and that aforementioned mean streak.

"I feel like it's almost a balance, in a way," Williams said. "I'm usually chill, but on the field, I get mad. Everything goes out the window. I'm just like feral almost."

Can he harness that?

"Yeah, it's a controlled chaos," he continued. "I stay level-headed. I focus that anger to get off blocks and keep working."

Sawvel isn't worried one bit.

"He's going to be really good," he said. "He's such a fun kid to coach and he's such a fun person to be around. His attitude, his work ethic ... We have so many guys that just make it so enjoyable to show up and coach day in and day out and he's one of them. He's got a bright future and we're really excited about him."

- University of Wyoming’s Top 50 Football Players