Alex Brown is healthy, motivated heading into crucial campaign

LARAMIE -- There's no sugarcoating it, this is an important season ahead for Alex Brown.

The 6-foot-4, 200-pound sophomore wide out has only three career receptions despite being on campus for the previous three years. He has amassed just 33 yards. He has yet to find the end zone.

The former three-star recruit out of Klein Collins High School has higher expectations for himself.

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"It's pretty big," Brown said of his personal forecast for the 2022 campaign. "I feel like I have a lot of people to prove wrong. I feel like there's a lot of people out there who have written me off already. So, I wouldn't say a lot of pressure, but I feel like I have a chance to show a lot of people who I am, truthfully.

"I feel like not a lot of people outside of our team knows about it."

Not one to make excuses, Brown did say this is the best his physical health has been since arriving in Laramie. This has been the first year the Spring, Texas product hasn't spent his entire offseason in the training room, rehabbing.

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During last November's victory over Border War rival, Colorado State, Brown suffered sprained ligaments in his knee. Before that he slammed his hip into an equipment case on the New Mexico sideline after attempting to snag a pass down the sideline.

On top of those misfortunes, Brown has been dealing with a severe shoulder injury he sustained in high school. The brace just wasn't doing its job any longer. Surgery was required last offseason.

That, he said, is all in the rear-view mirror.

"I feel like I'm in an insanely great place compared to where I have been," he said with a smile. "My body feels good. I feel way stronger and I'm moving well. I'm a lot faster than what I was at this time last year ... This summer has been pretty solid. My legs feel good, everything feels good."

UW wide receivers coach Mike Grant didn't mince words.

"This is his time, if you will," he said of Brown. "If we can put more weapons on the field and see that transition, it's only going to help our offense."

Wyoming lost its leading receiver, Isaiah Neyor, in the offseason. He entered the NCAA Transfer Portal after the Cowboys knocked off Kent State in the Famous Idaho Potato Bowl. He took his team-best 44 receptions, 878 receiving yards and 12 touchdowns with him to the University of Texas.

Ayden Eberhardt is gone, too.

The laidback Brown hears the naysayers. Not only is he hoping to contribute more on offense this season, he feels like this inexperienced receiving crops can, too.

"I feel like it's known that people in the media, fans, already think the receivers are going to be the downfall of our offensive unit," Brown said. "I feel like we're really going to be one of the highlights in our unit. We're going to be able to do something really special this year.

"A lot of people don't believe in our group, but we know who we are. As a whole, I think we're going to surprise a lot of people this year."

CORRECTION: The initial version of this story stated Alex Brown "tore" ligaments in his knee last fall. It was "sprained." We regret this error.