Brooklyn Cheek embraces Wyoming safety battle after transfer growth

Brooklyn Cheek turned a spring interception into something bigger in Laramie: proof that Wyoming’s rebuilt secondary still had room for another contributor. The former California Golden Bear arrived as one of four portal safeties and spent spring practice fighting for snaps in a room coach Jay Sawvel said needed depth and competition after the Cowboys lost starting safeties and other defensive leaders.

That push mattered because Wyoming’s 2024 season ended 3-9, and the staff responded by loading the secondary with newcomers. Along with Cheek, the Cowboys added Desman Hearns from Southern Illinois, Justin Taylor from Wisconsin and Jaden DaCosta from Portland State. Wyoming’s spring practice coverage said all four newcomers performed well, a sign the competition that began when the portal opened carried into drills at War Memorial Stadium.

Cheek, listed by Wyoming at 6-foot-1 and 204 pounds, came to Laramie with a profile that suggested more than a stopgap role. The Oakdale, California native redshirted last season at California, where he arrived as a consensus three-star recruit and was ranked as high as No. 39 nationally among safeties. He also appeared to stretch his value beyond defense, with one spring report noting he lined up at wide receiver as well.

The spring game offered the clearest snapshot of his progress. Cheek intercepted a pass, a moment Wyoming highlighted as a sign the transfer was settling in rather than just learning the system. By April 14, the Cowboys had reached the fourth week of spring drills and the 10th practice of a 15-practice slate that was set to end with the annual Spring Game on April 25.

Even with that momentum, Cheek was not locked into anything. A later spring report placed him in a safety battle with returning starter Jones Thomas and redshirt freshman Kaiden Kimble-Turner, which showed the job remained up for grabs. For Wyoming, that is the point of the portal overhaul: if Cheek keeps building on the spring interception and holds his spot in a crowded rotation, he can become a real contributor. If not, he still gives the Cowboys the depth they lacked a year ago.