Sources: Sawvel Open to Idea of Miller, Johnson Rejoining Program

LARAMIE -- Dainsus Miller is currently in the process of tempering his emotions.

A recent court ruling granting members of the 2022 recruiting class an additional season of eligibility certainly piqued his interest, but, for now, he's in wait-and-see mode.

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"When I first heard the news, I really just wanted to see if it was real before any real excitement came," the 5-foot-10, 181-pound cornerback admitted on Monday. "If anything, I’ll just be grateful for another opportunity and will make the most of it, for sure."

Brayden Johnson is the other former Cowboy whose wish could come true, thanks to a stunning decision Friday in Denver by U.S. District Judge Charlotte Sweeney.

The NCAA Monday appealed the judgement.

Wyoming head coach Jay Sawvel has been in contact with both players and is open to the possibility of them rejoining the program, according to a source familiar with the situation, who added coming up with an additional scholarship -- two for one semester -- could cost the school upward of "$40,000."

Miller said he absolutely would come back to Laramie for one more go round and is still currently enrolled in classes. Johnson didn't respond to questions from 7220sports.com.

This preliminary injunction only allows players who just exhausted their eligibility to return to their former school, unless they entered the NCAA Transfer Portal last January. Neither Miller nor Johnson did that, thinking their college tenures were over and hoping to start professional football careers.

This most-recent chaos stems from a new eligibility model adopted and approved by the NCAA in June, allowing all student-athletes five seasons of eligibility, better known as the "5-in-5 rule."

Miller started seven games and appeared in 11 of 12 for the Cowboys during his lone season on the high plains after transferring from Mercer. He registered 27 tackles and broke up five passes. He also forced a fumble, tracking down Colorado running back Micah Welch, who appeared to be cruising into the end zone from 45 yards out. Miller, a Georgia native, hauled him down inside the 5-yard line despite the visitors trailing by 15 points late in the third quarter.

Johnson, a 6-foot-3, 245-pound middle linebacker, led the team in tackles during his only year in Laramie, racking up 81 stops and a sack. He also picked off two passes: one deep inside the red zone in the season opener at Akron and another he returned for a 65-yard touchdown in a victory over San Jose State.

The Oklahoma native, who was an undrafted invitee to New Orleans Saints rookie mini camp in the spring, earned second team All-Mountain West honors.

If these two do return to the roster, they won't be immediately inserted into the lineup, a source said, adding Sawvel has been "brutally honest" with Miller and Johnson.

"I've been staying in shape in hopes of getting an opportunity somewhere," Miller said. "I wouldn’t go in expecting a spot to be handed to me. I'm open to starting from the ground and working my way back in to play."

Despite this verdict, roster limits are still "hard capped" at 105. How would Wyoming get around this? Injuries, for one. Offensive lineman Nate Geiger will miss the entire 2026 campaign with a knee injury. Wide receiver Tyler Nystrom and defensive tackle Cody Crawford are also sidelined after suffering ACL tears. Sawvel will update the injury list on Wednesday, the opening day of fall camp.

Anthony Beavers Jr. recently was on the wrong end of an NCAA ruling, his extension waiver -- and subsequent appeal -- was denied because of a "lack of documentation" from his former school, USC.

Walk-ons also don't count against the cap. Wyoming currently has 112 players on its roster, that same source said.

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