When one door closed for Roman Caywood as he transferred from Cottonwood High School to Corner Canyon last summer, another opened wide. 

Caywood, who played on the last football team Cottonwood fielded as an independent, has accepted a scholarship to play football at Boise State University this fall. 

“He had the work ethic to get himself where he wanted. Proud of all the hard work he put in,” said Casey Miller, Caywood’s head coach for all three of the years that he played at Cottonwood. 

At Corner Canyon, Caywood—who was converted to tight end and defensive end at the outset of his senior year—had 31 tackles for his new team that would become the 6A champions. 

The two-way player also collected 2.5 sacks and scooped up a fumble recovery that he returned for a touchdown in Corner Canyon’s season opener. Caywood would also have one reception for 19 yards for Corner Canyon. 

Although Caywood was signed by Boise State with the express intent of making him an edge rusher on the blue turf—the primary position he played at Corner Canyon as a senior—the 6-foot-3-inch, 227-pounder is versatile according to Miller. 

“Great kid who did everything we ever asked for,” added Miller, who played Caywood at a half-dozen positions in the three years that the Boise State signee played at Cottonwood. 

With the Colts, Caywood was Cottonwood’s second-leading receiver as a junior, grabbing 28 receptions for 574 yards and four touchdowns. He also played a few snaps at quarterback for Miller’s final Colts’ team, completing two of three passes for 38 yards and two TDs. 

In addition to doing all that for the Colts, Caywood had 45 tackles for Cottonwood, racking up eight sacks during his junior season and had at least a partial QB sack in all but two of Cottonwood’s 10 games played that year enroute to a 2-8 record. Caywood’s eight sacks in one season still stands as the seventh most recorded in Cottonwood school history. 

In the eyes of Caywood’s former offensive coordinator at Cottonwood, this has been a long time coming. 

“From the time Roman stepped into Cottonwood as a freshman I knew he was going to be special,” said Donovan Malmrose. “He had an incredible work ethic, great focus/determination, great leader, just an amazing kid all around (academics, leadership, personality, behavior). Definitely was a privilege and honor to coach him for 3 years, love that kid!”

In total, Caywood had 11.5 sacks and 95 combined tackles in his high school career including 25 TFLs, two fumble recoveries and he blocked two field goals. 

For Boise State, Caywood—who picked the Broncos over other interested schools such as Nevada and Washington State—will wear the No. 9 jersey. In Coach Malmrose’s estimation, the Broncos made the right choice. 

“He is so deserving of an opportunity at a D1 school, and I know he’s going to be someone they can rely on and that will come through for them.”   λ