Thunder Basin's Kayden LaFramboise commits to UW at wide receiver

Feb. 2—LARAMIE — Kayden LaFramboise could have gotten all the playing time he wanted at one of the many NCAA Division II colleges in the region.

LaFramboise — a 6-foot-5, 190-pound senior at Thunder Basin High in Gillette — was offered by the University of Sioux Falls, Colorado State University Pueblo, South Dakota School of Mines, Augustana University and Colorado Mesa, to name a few.

But one school's offer glaringly stood out to the unanimous all-state wide receiver. That offer was to be a preferred walk-on at the only four-year college in his home state of Wyoming.

LaFramboise committed to the University of Wyoming last weekend, just four days before national signing day. His commitment came just hours after wrapping up an official campus visit in Laramie.

"I just went on a visit there this weekend and I loved everything about it," LaFramboise said. "I loved the people that were there and the culture that they're building. I also thought it was important to stay close to my brothers."

LaFramboise led Class 4A with 81 catches for 1,151 yards and 13 touchdowns as a senior at Thunder Basin, according to WyoPreps.com. He averaged 115.1 yards per game and 14.2 yards per catch and was also a second team all-state defensive back.

Along with his talent on the football field, LaFramboise has been a standout basketball player and track and field athlete for the Bolts over the past four years.

"Laramie gave me the best opportunity to be the best football player I can be," LaFramboise said. "I could have gone to some of these other DIIs and probably played right away and had a fun experience, but I think for me, I want to be the best possible player I can be and the best possible person I can be. I think Laramie gives me that opportunity."

LaFramboise's recruitment didn't start during football season, but rather at the Class 4A state track meet in Casper last spring. Then a junior, LaFramboise was approached by UW assistant coach Shannon Moore just seconds after helping the Bolts win a state title in the 4x400-meter relay.

"He came up to me right after we'd won the 4x400 and he approached me and just started to talk to me," LaFramboise said. "Ever since then, we just kept in touch."

Being approached by UW lit a fire inside LaFramboise going into the summer offseason. Trent Pikula, who's been Thunder Basin's head coach since the school opened in 2017, can't remember many days he didn't see LaFramboise at the football field or in the weight room during summer vacation.

"He was doing the small stuff that some of the other kids don't always necessarily do," Pikula said. "It's just uncommon for a kid to put in that kind of time like he did."

That same summer, Pikula brought LaFramboise to a camp at Montana State with a group of his teammates. That's when the possibility of LaFramboise playing college football really came to life, Pikula said.

"He was one of the best players up there," Pikula said. "(Montana State) talked to me quite a bit about him, which kind of shocked me that they didn't offer him. They pulled me and Kayden aside more than once just to talk about him. I think that kind of opened up his eyes a little bit to how good he can be.

"It also reaffirmed in my eyes and the coaching staffs' eyes that this kid is a playmaker because of what he was able to do against that competition up there in Montana."

LaFramboise had a solid junior year at Thunder Basin, finishing second on the team in receptions (32) and yards (506) to go along with a team-high seven touchdowns. His best performance of the season came against the eventual state champion Sheridan, a game LaFramboise finished with nine catches for 146 yards and two touchdowns.

"They obviously were state champions that year, and he lit them up," Pikula said. "They couldn't cover him. I think that's when he kind of opened up some people's eyes. As that progressed into this year, teams double-teamed him for a good portion of the year, and he still ended up with 81 catches."

The best athletes show up when it matters most. LaFramboise's ability to keep Thunder Basin in games against some of the best competition in the state translated into his senior campaign.

Against Cheyenne East, LaFramboise hauled in 16 catches for 242 yards and three touchdowns in September. In the same month, the senior caught 18 passes for 150 yards and one touchdown against Sheridan.

Sheridan and East finished the year as the state champions and state runners-up, respectively.

"The two best opponents, he had his biggest games," Pikula said. "He's a big-time player, and he shows up in big-time games."

Representing Wyoming

LaFramboise joins a UW recruiting class that features two other in-state walk-ons out of high school, including Laramie's Abraham Bangoura, and Natrona County's Cody Crawford. Bangoura committed as an offensive lineman and Crawford joins the Cowboys on the defensive line.

LaFramboise will be the second Thunder Basin athlete on UW's roster. Caleb Driskell, an all-state linebacker who graduated from TBHS in 2019, has carved out a solid role at fullback for the Cowboys' run-heavy offense.

This fall will be the second time LaFramboise will be an incoming freshman joining Driskell in a football program.

"He was a senior (at Thunder Basin) when I was a freshman," LaFramboise said. "All of us freshmen looked up to him. Honestly, we were all kind of scared of him. He was bringing meals to school every day and was playing middle linebacker with this huge mullet on. I was kind of afraid to talk to him as a freshman."

LaFramboise's extra work has paid dividends now that he has a spot on a Division I roster. The opportunity to represent his home state was something none of his other college offers could compete with.

"When you're young, you see Wyoming on TV and see all your friends and their parents all wearing Wyoming gear wherever they go," LaFramboise said. "It's really amazing. A lot of people are really happy for me, so it's an awesome experience."

LaFramboise's commitment to UW shows just how much talent is right here in the state, Pikula said.

"For me, I think it's awesome to have two kids from our program going on to play at UW now," Pikula said. "It says a lot about the character of those kids and the way we do things here at Thunder Basin. I'm excited for him.

"I told him numerous times that he just has to pick what he thinks is right for him. If you think you'll be happy at UW, you go and you ball out and you do what you can. He's taking that challenge on."

Playing for Max

LaFramboise hasn't just been tested physically at Thunder Basin. Earlier this season, LaFramboise's basketball teammate, Max Sorensen, died of peritonitis, or an infection and swelling of the tissue that lines the abdomen, according to the Gillette News Record.

Coping with the death of his friend and teammate while simultaneously navigating his own college recruitment was a daunting task for LaFramboise. But with the support of his friends, family and coaches, LaFramboise has been able to change his perspective and focus on playing through the memory of his former teammate.

"I'm extremely, extremely blessed to have this opportunity," LaFramboise said. "It's not something that I look past at all. I understand the position I'm in and how important it is that I go there and do my best to play for Max."

Now that he's committed to college football, LaFramboise wants to give it one last run on the basketball court in memory of Sorensen.

"Since my freshman year, I've put an insane amount of time to try and be good at basketball," LaFramboise said. "To know that this is what it all comes down to and this is what all those early mornings and late nights come down to, it makes it extremely important for me that we start winning games."

LaFramboise is ready for the challenge of competing for playing time, and eventually a scholarship, when he comes to Laramie this summer. The challenge of having no guarantees and having to prove himself everyday in practice was the biggest draw for LaFramboise to commit to the Cowboys.

"I'm a guy who works really hard because I love the grind," LaFramboise said. "I think if I went to some of these other schools where I'd get the opportunity to play right away, there's just not that much opportunity for me to grow.

"Right now, I'm kind of the lowest you can possibly be in the program. I'm going to try and work my way up and just grind and be the best player I can be. I think the opportunity to one day play or get a scholarship is a good opportunity for me."

LaFramboise brings a lot more than good size and strong hands to Laramie. The senior has developed into a true leader over the last two seasons, Pikula said.

"His leadership just really took off this year," Pikula said. "He just loves to compete and he loves to be an athlete. With him going down to UW, regardless of whether he's a walk-on or a scholarship kid, he's just going to go compete. I think he's going to do a lot of great things down there."

Alex Taylor covers the University of Wyoming for WyoSports. He can be reached at ataylor@wyosports.net or 269-364-3560. Follow him on Twitter at @alex_m_taylor22.