Wyoming transfer DE Braden Siders flips from Arizona to West Virginia

Siders flipped his commitment to the Mountaineers on Saturday, he announced on social media. 

The 6-3, 252-pound edge rusher and Thornton, Colorado native signed with Wyoming during the pandemic-influenced season in 2020, but didn’t appear in any games for the Cowboys until the 2022 season.

In the last three seasons at Wyoming, Siders recorded 92 tackles and 14.5 sacks. As a redshirt freshman in 2022, Siders led the Cowboys with 13.5 tackles for loss.

Siders played two games at Arizona Stadium for the Arizona Bowl, which was previously sponsored by Barstool Sports before Snoop Dogg took over. In a walk-off 16-15 win over Toledo in 2023, Siders had two tackles for Wyoming. In the ’22 Arizona Bowl, an overtime loss to Ohio, Siders had six tackles and two sacks.

Even though Siders isn't signing with Arizona, the Wildcats return starting defensive ends Tre Smith and Chase Kennedy, along with Dominic Lolesio and Sterling Lane II. The Wildcats also return redshirt freshman Julian Savaiinaea (younger brother of former UA star offensive tackle Jonah Savaiinaea) and former Memphis transfer Jarra Anderson, who suffered a season-ending leg injury at the start of the 2024 season.

In the transfer portal, Arizona has added three defensive linemen: Montana edge rusher Riley Wilson, Northwestern State defensive end Chancellor Owens and UT Martin defensive tackle Deshawn McKnight. Between transfers and high school and junior college players, the Wildcats have eight scholarship newcomers on the defensive line.