Four former Cowboys named to MW 25th season football team

Nov. 30—The Mountain West announced its 25th season football team Thursday, and four former University of Wyoming players were selected.

The four Cowboys included quarterback Josh Allen, linebacker Chad Muma, linebacker Logan Wilson and safety Andrew Wingard.

The conference selected 25 offensive players, 25 defensive players and 10 special teams performers. Players from all former and current MW member schools were eligible to be selected.

All four of UW's honorees are currently playing in the NFL and were among the most accomplished MW players in the league's history.

Josh Allen, quarterback, Firebaugh, California, 2015-17

Josh Allen became the second-highest NFL Draft pick in MW history when the Buffalo Bills selected him No. 7 overall in the 2018 NFL Draft. He helped lead the Cowboys to the 2016 MW championship game and an appearance in the 2016 San Diego County Credit Union Poinsettia Bowl, as well as a victory in the 2017 Famous Idaho Potato Bowl.

Allen was selected as the most outstanding player for the North Team in the 2018 Reese's Senior Bowl. He joined an exclusive group of only four MW players to ever be selected in the top 10 of the NFL Draft, including Alex Smith (quarterback, Utah, No. 1 pick of the San Francisco 49ers in 2005), Jordan Gross (offensive tackle, Utah, No. 8 pick in 2003 of the Carolina Panthers) and Brian Urlacher (linebacker, New Mexico, No. 9 overall pick of the Chicago Bears in 2000). All of the four are members of the MW 25th season team.

Allen finished second in the NFL MVP voting in 2020 and was a finalist for the award again in 2022. He earned second team All-Pro honors in 2020 and was named to the Pro Bowl in both 2020 and 2022. In the 2020 season, Allen set Buffalo franchise single-season records for passing yards (4,544), passing touchdowns (37) and total touchdowns (46).

Chad Muma, linebacker, Lone Tree, Colorado, 2018-21

Chad Muma was twice named first team All-MW in 2020 and '21. Muma was one of six national finalists for the 2021 Butkus Award that honors the nation's best linebacker each season. He was also one of 18 national semifinalists for the 2021 Chuck Bednarik Award, that recognizes the nation's most outstanding defensive player.

Muma ranked No. 3 in the nation in tackles in 2020 (11.8 tackles per game) and ranked No. 4 in 2021 (10.9 tackles per game). His 142 tackles in the 2021 season was the fourth-best single-season total in school history.

Muma earned second team All-American honors from both Pro Football Focus and the Walter Camp Football Foundation and was selected third team All-American by the Associated Press in 2021. He helped lead UW to bowl wins in the 2019 Arizona Bowl and the 2021 Famous Idaho Potato Bowl.

Muma was selected as the sixth pick in the third round of the 2022 NFL Draft by the Jacksonville Jaguars, where he continues to be a significant contributor at linebacker.

Logan Wilson, linebacker, Casper, 2015-19

Logan Wilson earned first team All-MW honors in 2019. Wilson was one of six national finalists for the 2019 Butkus Award that honors the nation's best linebacker annually.

He was honored as a first team All-American by Pro Football Focus, second team by USA Today and third team by the Associated Press in 2019. Wilson ranks No. 4 on the UW career tackle list with 421. His 421 career tackles rank him No. 5 on the MW career chart.

Wilson helped lead the Cowboys to the 2016 MW title game and an appearance in the 2016 San Diego County Credit Union Poinsettia Bowl, as well as victories in the 2017 Famous Idaho Potato Bowl and 2019 Arizona Bowl. He started all 52 games of his college career from the first game of his redshirt freshman season to the final game of his senior season.

Wilson was selected as the first pick in the third round of the 2020 NFL Draft by the Cincinnati Bengals. The Casper native is the highest NFL Draft pick of any Cowboy who also was a native of the state of Wyoming.

Wilson is in his fourth season with the Cincinnati Bengals and has started at linebacker in every game he's played for the Bengals in each of the past three seasons.

Andrew Wingard, safety, Arvada, Colorado, 2015-18

Andrew Wingard earned first team All-MW honors in three consecutive seasons from 2016-18. He was a second team All-MW selection as a true freshman in 2015.

Wingard holds the MW record for career tackles with 454, a mark that is also second in school history. He still ranks No. 22 in NCAA history in career tackles.

During his UW career, Wingard was twice named to the Chuck Bednarik Award watch list, the Bronko Nagurski Trophy watch list and the Paycom Jim Thorpe Award watch list. He was also a two-time MW preseason defensive player of the year selection.

Wingard helped lead UW to the 2016 MW title game and an appearance in the 2016 San Diego County Credit Union Poinsettia Bowl, as well as a victory in the 2017 Famous Idaho Potato Bowl. He played in all 51 games over his four-year career at UW and started the last 50 consecutive games.

Wingard signed as a free agent with the Jacksonville Jaguars following the 2019 NFL Draft and is currently in his fifth season with the Jags, where he has played in 72 career games.