Green & Gold Report 2020

2020 COLORADO STATE FOOTBALL YEARBOOK

READY TO ROLL Rams’ offense primed for a big year

ALSO INSIDE: CSU Volleyball Preview

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Josh Tobey

with Josh and Jojo Tobey

The Sheep Herd Photography by Jafe Parsons

Website

www.joshuatobeystudios.com

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Co-Publishers Greg Hoffman Scott Titterington Editor Shane G. Gilster Copy Editor Kristin Titterington Creative Director Emily Zaynard

CONTENTS

Advertising Director Greg Hoffman Advertising Sales Shane G. Gilster Greg Hoffman Contributing Writer Eddie Herz Photography CSU Athletic Communications Advertising Inquiries Shanegilster@gmail.com Greg.rmpublishing@gmail.com

6 Seamless Stardom

Jackson continues Wide Receiver U tradition

10 Q & A with Joey Lynch

Offensive coordinator wants to wear defenses down with tempo

18 Football Schedule Preview 26 2020 Colorado State Football Roster 46 Football Recruiting POSITION BREAKDOWN

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28 Quarterbacks

29 Running Backs 30 Receivers

31 Offensive Line

32 Defensive Line 33 Linebackers

34 Defensive Backs 35 Specialists

volleyball 36 2020 Colorado State Volleyball Schedule 38 2020 Colorado State Volleyball Roster 40 Volleyball Preview

Rebuilding Rams expect another successful season

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Seamless stardom Jackson continues Wide Receiver U tradition

Photo Courtesy of CSU Athletic Communications

By Eddie Herz

The 6’6”, 215-pound Jackson is the best receiver in the Mountain West

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n unproven wideout by the name of Warren Jackson stepped under Bryant-Denny Stadium’s dazzling lights for his fourthever collegiate contest as Colorado State faced Alabama. Later that evening, the freshman departed Crimson Tide territory with two touchdowns against the NCAA’s perennial powerhouse

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in his back pocket.

Granted, even in goalline scenarios, returning All-Mountain West receiver Michael Gallup rightfully absorbed plenty of Bama’s defensive attention.

Nevertheless, from that moment on, it became increasingly apparent how Jackson would eventually obtain his crack atop the

Rams’ reputable passcatching totem pole.

Flash forward two seasons to 2019 and the day when Jackson stood at the forefront of the position group, also known as Wide Receiver U, finally arrived.

Excluding a minor injury, the California native experienced no difficulties living up to the expectations created by the

program’s array of recently prosperous wideouts.

With all eyes on the towering target’s production last season, succumbing to pressure was certainly a possibility, as it is for any player in a primary role. However, Jackson’s upbringing as an underclassman—in which he operated alongside three of

CSU’s four receivers to reach the professional level since 2016—paved the way for seamless stardom.

“Just learning from all of those guys before me—Mike, Bisi (Johnson), Preston (Williams),” Jackson says. “Watching how they worked and how they took that challenge of being that guy for the team. That’s something that I wanted to continue and not let down. I was always hungry to learn and to do the things that they were doing. I would say that just my motivation and my drive really helped me out up to this point.”

He certainly kept the bar in the stratosphere upon utilizing his unfathomable

catch-radius to demoralize nearly every defensive back who dared to step into the ring. Like the Rams’ receivers before him, the virtually unguardable threat established national prominence via ranking fourth in the FBS in receiving yards per game (111.9).

The only question Jackson’s breakout campaign raised? Whether or not the first-team allconference selection would stay in Fort Collins after hoarding 77 receptions for 1,119 yards in 10 dominant outings. And if individual stardom represented Jackson’s utmost priority, the California native would have immediately darted toward the NFL.

Although, the veteran didn’t stand at a crossroads for long. Jackson still had business to take care of at Canvas Stadium. Namely, in light of two consecutive losing seasons, the pro-bound talent

wasn’t really feeling it. So, at the end of the season, I sat down and thought about it and just felt that staying here would be best for me. I want to win first. I want to leave here with a winning record. Obviously,

“I was always hungry to learn and to do the things that they were doing. I would say that just my motivation and my drive really helped me out up to this point.”

- Warren Jackson

wants to win before capping his collegiate tenure.

“Obviously, there were a lot of people talking to me like oh, you should do it, you should go,” he says. “But I

the last three or four years we weren’t doing anything good, so I wanted to accomplish all of those goals, beat all of those rivalry teams, win a Mountain West championship.”

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Photo Courtesy of CSU Athletic Communications

Jackson grabbed 77 passes for 1,119 yards and 8 TDs in 2019 Finding even one selfish bone throughout Jackson’s 6-foot-6 frame is impossible.

More so than to taste glory himself, the senior hopes to contribute to a 2020 turnaround to experience collective affluence among his fellow Rams.

Regardless of his ability to solely take over on any given Saturday, the wideout plays for the lettering on the front of the Rams’ green and gold jerseys—not the back.

“The camaraderie we had with each other on the bus and in the hotel and everywhere. That was something that I really enjoyed,” Jackson says.

“So, I would say all of those

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moments combined really helped my decision. There were times where we weren’t even thinking about football.

We were just all on the bus having a great time. Just talking and really getting to know each other.”

Considering Jackson returns to CSU with teamoriented objectives at the top of his agenda, he’s wasting no time enhancing his stance as one of the squad’s leaders. Despite the COVID-19 pandemic cutting the Rams’ spring training camp short after just seven practices, the wideout helped set a positive example for others by staying ahead in learning

new offensive coordinator Joey Lynch’s playbook.

Amid the peak of the nation’s quarantine, he also reached out to other players, such as quarterback Patrick

on everyone’s well-being.

“Just staying ready,” Jackson says during a previous interview in May. “I’m preaching that to a lot of the guys in my

“Just staying ready, I’m preaching that to a lot of the guys in my room. I’m supposed to be a leader. I’m supposed to take people with me along the way, so we are working out every day. ” - Warren Jackson

O’Brien, multiple times per week to maintain healthy relationships and check up

room. I’m supposed to be a leader. I’m supposed to take people with me

along the way, so we are working out every day. We lift weights, run routes, go over the playbook, and do everything right.

I would say that I’m very supportive, persistent and determined right now.”

Team chemistry and winning aside, one mustn’t forget Jackson has his eyes on improving his draft stock once the COVID19-reduced campaign presumably rolls around.

The upperclassman continues focusing on his capacity to acquire big chunks of yardage after the catch as well as his overall speed while the Rams inch closer to their first fall camp under Steve Addazio’s staff.

Speaking of CSU’s

new regime, it’s reasonable to ponder how Jackson will fare away from former head coach Mike Bobo’s scheme and inside a fresh offensive package. But, given the wideout’s proven knack for snagging almost any football tossed in his general direction, a possible rocky transition doesn’t particularly worry him.

Additionally, he’s steadily begun to “love the game plan and concepts” over time. Equally optimistic, Lynch figuratively licks his chops when thinking about the damage a uniquely lethal receiver like Jackson can achieve in his offense when game day is finally upon us.

“Even when he’s covered, he’s open if we locate the ball,” Lynch says.

“His catch radius and ball skills are just unbelievable.

The one thing I would say that really jumped out at

suddenness. He is really sudden for a big, long kid.

That’s something you don’t fully appreciate until you

“The one thing I would say that really jumped out at me, though, is his ability to stop and start and his initial quickness off the line of scrimmage. He has really good feet. ...That’s something you don’t fully appreciate until you see it in person.”

—CSU offensive coordinator Joey Lynch on Jackson

me, though, is his ability to stop and start and his initial quickness off the line of scrimmage. He has really good feet. I call it

see it in person. I kind of said wow. It hits you in the face. And we fully expect him to play his best football here as a senior.”

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Q&A with JOEY LYNCH Offensive coordinator wants to wear defenses down with tempo

By Eddie Herz

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Lynch spent the past six years as Ball State’s offensive coordinator

Photo by Michael Hickey

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ccepting a coaching job always provides a lengthy offseason to-do list. Among many objectives, the new sheriff in town must build relationships with players, find common ground among staff members and adjust his philosophies to suit the team’s talent. Though the mandatory tasks often create challenges, Colorado State offensive coordinator Joey Lynch felt poised to hit the ground running upon arriving in Fort Collins last January after breeding consistent production over six seasons at Ball State.

The former BSU quarterback traveled to

the Mountain West with notable momentum in his back pocket fresh off a 2019 campaign in which the Cardinals posted the 16th-best total offense in the FBS. However, Lynch’s initial plans to smoothly introduce his up-tempo scheme took a left turn when the COVID-19 pandemic forced the nation into isolation halfway through CSU’s spring training camp.

Nevertheless, like all collegiate programs, Lynch adapted and learned how to keep moving his offense in the right direction amid the quarantine before the Rams eventually progressed to social-distance-controlled voluntary workouts.

Were you pleased with the team’s dedication throughout all of the virtual meetings after spring ball?

Lynch: I really was. They did a great job. Through Microsoft Teams, we did a great job with the full-team and full offensive-unit stuff.

And we broke into position groups, which was nice because the smaller groups made it as interactive as possible. I also think it all was nice because it kept them fresh. I really believe we got 60-65 percent of our offense installed this spring. But at the same time, there were enough new things we presented to them through the digital platform to keep them engaged. I think sometimes if you’re at

a place where they already know the offense, it might have gotten stale. But for us, as we reinstalled and got to the new things that they didn’t get to rep in spring, you could tell their excitement was great. They did a great job staying motivated. I think they really know what we’re trying to accomplish as an offense.

And I think the older guys did a great job of keeping the younger guys engaged and leading the team the best they can from this quarantine world we’re in.

What did you learn about CSU’s offensive weapons during the abbreviated spring camp?

Lynch: It was good to get seven practices in. Of

course, we wish we would have had all 15, but we got our hands on them to firsthand see their skill sets and what they do best. That was really helpful even though we got shut down before we truly started developing our offensive package. But I just think the biggest deal is we have a great feel for our team.

Despite the quarantine, have you managed to progress relationships and establish respect as a new coordinator?

Lynch: Absolutely.

Relationships take time, and really, it’s about communication and effort.

We really did that. We met with our guys four times per week through this whole

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Photo Courtesy of CSU Athletic Communications

Tight end Trey McBride is a preseason All-Mountain West pick time. There was daily engagement about football, and we also found a couple of days per week outside of our meeting time to talk to each guy about academics and what’s going on with them. So there really was great communication. Of course, it wasn’t face to face. But I do think our guys know we really care and are there for them as everything is happening in our world right now. I feel like we have a good group of guys and we’re all on the same page with what we are trying to do. We are all in this thing together.

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What will your first objective be with the offense when fall camp starts after losing a valuable portion of spring?

And are you at all worried that the missed time will hurt the team’s development?

Lynch: We are all in the same boat. That’s the thing. None of us can complain about this group having an advantage over another. It’s going to be about us doing what we do better than our opponent.

With only having seven practices under our belt and the summer still being a little different than it typically is, we have to be smart with what we do. We have to let the

players play fast and play to their abilities. When we get going, we have to hone in on what we do best and execute our responsibilities every play. I truly believe we have enough offensive firepower that if we understand how to execute on a high level, we’ll put ourselves in position to have success.

How will your offensive scheme differ compared to Mike Bobo’s?

is-more guy. What I mean by that is sometimes as coaches, we make the game more complicated than it is.

It’s about getting your best players the ball in space. I just think one of the hardest things to do in football is to tackle in space. We want our kids to cover the field horizontally and vertically every play. It’s a space game, and you can do that a lot of different ways.

Lynch: They did a lot of good things in the past here. So, I think more than anything from our standpoint, I really want to focus on what our kids do best. I’m a less-

You utilized a blistering tempo at Ball State. Is that the plan at CSU? And given the pace, is the goal to rotate frequently at most positions to keep players fresh?

Lynch: We definitely want to play with some tempo. You want to wear people down.

We want to run a lot of plays every Saturday. So, the more depth you have and to be able to keep the full capacity of your offense when you sub is really critical. Our guys know that. Whether it’s injuries or rotating our guys to keep everybody fresh, the name of the game for us is to play faster than our opponent. You do that by understanding the expectation. But also, from a physical-conditioning standpoint, the more guys we can play, the better off we are going to be at that.

Lynch: I’m an intense guy, a passionate guy. I love what I do. I think you have to play and coach the game that way. I think on game day, I’m pretty even-keeled, which is important as a play-caller. I’m going to be on the sideline. I did that the last couple of years at Ball State and really liked being down there with the guys to be able to look them in the eye. But to also get a feel for the game. Being in the press box is nice at times because it’s kind of calm. But I like being around the guys and feeling the intensity and flow of the game. I do get excited.

There is no question about that. But I try to stay consistent throughout the game with whatever is going on.

Photo Courtesy of Ball State Athletics

How would you describe yourself as a coach on the sidelines or in the press box during a game?

Lynch was a four-year letterwinner at quarterback for Ball State.

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providing state-of-theart care for any injury B y R o c c i V. T r u m p e r , M D Specialist in Sports Medicine & Knee Disorders

A

s much as I long for the routine of a new school and fall sports season, the upcoming months seem anything but routine! The uncertainty of the COVID-19 pandemic and our response to the virus leaves me uncertainty as to what this next season looks like. Who knows! I certainly don’t!

This year presents new challenges to us all and almost everything feels unfamiliar. With that in mind, the new challenges facing us have led me to reexamine the culture and values established by OCR’s founders in 1969, resulting in one of the nation’s premier orthopedic practices.

In 1995, I joined the

group as the eleventh orthopedic surgeon in the practice. An environment that emphasized providing the very best care possible for our patients has allowed OCR to move toward the highest level of subspecialty care. OCR now has 32 physicians providing subspecialty care in three medical campuses, Fort Collins, Loveland and Greeley. This means patients from a multi-state region are now able to receive care from a physician who specializes in the orthopaedic problem at hand.

For CSU athletes, they have daily access to physicians specializing in sports medicine. Primary care physicians Steven Yemm, Tom

Anderson, Niki Vischer and Brian Lancaster, work daily in a newly established clinic to care for sick or injured athletes/staff. Athletes who encounter a concussion have the support of Alissa Wicklund, Ph.D., a Neuropsychology specialist in the evaluation and care of traumatic brain injuries.

Dr. Wicklund also serves on staff for the Colorado Avalanche, Denver Broncos and Colorado Rapids. Dr. Sean Grey assists in the evaluation of shoulder and upper extremity injuries.

We are supported by a group of surgeons at OCR that can provide stateof-the-art care for any injury. This level of care is as good as it gets and

mirrors what is available to all patients we serve from a multi-state region. So as we celebrate OCR’s 50th anniversary and relationship with CSU athletics, we prepare for the uncertainty the coming year is sure to bring. At Orthopaedic & Spine Center of the Rockies, we will continue to adapt to whatever this future holds and continue to grow to meet the needs of our patients with the best orthopedic care available in the region.

As always, I am looking forward to the upcoming academic and sports seasons. I can’t wait to root the green and gold on in person. Hope to see you all there. Go Rams!

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Football Schedule Preview

By EDDIE HERZ

Due to COVID-19 the football schedule is subject to change.

Three of CSU’s originally scheduled opponents – Colorado Sept. 5, Oregon State Sept. 12 and Sept.

16 Vanderbilt, are playing conference-only games.

Northern Colorado (home) September 19 Jolting desperately needed optimism into the struggling program, Northern Colorado cleaned house this offseason following its third forgettable campaign in a row. OnceDenver Broncos receiver Ed

McCaffrey arrives in Greeley from Valor Christian High School, where he guided the local powerhouse to a 24-2 record over his tenure.

Despite bringing some excitement to the squad, an uphill climb likely awaits McCaffrey and the Bears fresh off a 2-10 season.

McCaffery faces an immediate offensive rebuild as starting quarterback Jaco Knipp, 888-yard rusher Milo Hall and top receiver Jaren Mitchell have all graduated.

Even if the coach manages to instantaneously

breed success, history indicates that shocking CSU at Canvas Stadium isn’t in the cards. The Rams improved their all-time series lead against the neighboring opponent to 20-0-1 in 2016 via a 47-21 victory.

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when Tedford arrived in 2017, FSU constructed one of the best campaigns in program history next time around by coasting to 12 victories and capturing a conference title.

4401 E. Prospect Rd. • Ft. Collins Fresno State (home) Then, the wheels fell 970-493-5400 October 3 off as the Bulldogs dropped Just as the Bulldogs began their final four outings solidifying themselves of 2019 to finish at 4-8. atop the West Division, Jeff Spiraling FSU in a different Tedford’s crew regressed direction, Tedford stepped to an unexpected extent down from his position in last year. After taking the December, leading to prior Mountain West by storm offensive coordinator Kalen

Northern Colorado Defensive Linemen, #53 Eddie Gonzales III & #62 Robert Moss Photo Courtesy of UNC Athletics

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Football Schedule Preview

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Photo Courtesy of Fresno State Athletics

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Fresno State Linebacker, Justin Rice DeBoer’s hire.

Amounting to a momentum-building, 4131 victory last October in Fresno, the Rams exploited an out-of-sorts defensive backfield, which alarmingly allowed 259 passing yards per game. The Bulldogs’ weakest facet could very well become weaker as FSU loses starting defensive backs Juju Hughes and Jaron Bryant.

Not to mention quarterback Jorge Reyna and dependable rusher Ronnie Rivers are gone as well.

CSU welcomes UNM to Canvas Stadium after securing its 10th consecutive victory over the basement-dwelling Lobos in Albuquerque last October.

Constituting their 10th

under-.500 finish in 12 years, the Lobos stumbled to a 2-10 record while going winless Strip for their only Friday in the Mountain West for the bout of the season while first time since 1989. searching for their fifthUNM finally cut ties with straight victory versus the eight-year head coach Bob Rebels. Bearing a striking Davies as Danny Gonzales resemblance to UNM, E. Prospect Rd. • Ft. merely Collins thriving in the run takes over at4401 Dreamstyle 970-493-5400 Stadium. The defensivegame wasn’t enough to minded leader adopts a consistently expand the Lobos team that conceded win column in Sin City last the most points per clash season. in the Mountain West last UNLV flips the calendar season (37.2). under new head coach Multifaceted efficacy on Marcus Arroyo following a the ground represented the 4-8 stint. Explosive senior strongest aspect of UNM’s Charles Williams returns game during the final chapter to hog the carries with of Davies’ reign. However, a breakout 1,257-yard the Lobos’ rushing attack campaign under his belt as demands renovations in the conference’s secondlight of starting running back leading rusher. Although, as Ahmari Davis’ exit. alluded to, the ground game isn’t the problem. Rather, UNLV (road) October 23 moving the ball through The Rams hit the Las Vegas the air inhibited the Rebels’

Remaining in Fort Collins for back-to-back home games to commence league play is obviously ideal. But the Rams could be facing New Mexico on the road, a neutral site, or even the moon. The location really hasn’t mattered over the last decade.

New Mexico Tight End, Marcus Williams

fertility even before starting

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Photo Courtesy of New Mexico Athletics

New Mexico (home) October 10

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Football Schedule Preview

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Photo courtesy of Air Force Athletics

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Air Force Linebacker, Demonte Meeks gunslinger Armani Rogers endured a devastating injury.

An insufficient defense that surrendered 33 points on average also requires enhancements. Lessexperienced options must emerge as UNLV bids farewell to two starting linebackers, Rayshad Jackson and Javin White, and two defensive backs, Evan Austrie and Jericho Flowers.

way, they’ll have to overcome Craig Bohl’s old-school, utterly physical bunch.

Wyoming’s stonecold defense and grueling rushing ambush — both of which ranked second in the

Tyler Vander Waal, is back in the mix as Wyoming also welcomes back the Mountain West’s top rusher in Xazavian Valladay. More importantly, the Cowboys retain all five 4401 E. Prospect Rd. • Ft. Collins of its starters along the of970-493-5400 fensive front. Returning vital experience on both sides, fourth-leading tackler Keyon Blankenbaker along with key defensive linemen Garrett Crall and Solomon Byrd reconference — paved the way main in Laramie. for an 8-5 final result and the Cowboys’ fourth campaign of San Diego State (road) .500 or better in a row.

November 7 Scrambling quarterback You don’t need to tell CSU Sean Chambers, who subabout the Aztecs’ decadestituted for eventual transfer long dominance twice. In

Wyoming (home) October 31 If the last edition of the Border War occurred on Halloween, CSU fans would probably wish they went trick-or-treating instead of witnessing the Cowboys stomp away with their fourth consecutive Bronze Boot despite totaling only 81 passing yards as a team.

The last time either side in the passionate rivalry notched five-straight victories spanned from 1967-73 when the Cowboys rattled off seven in a row. If the Rams wish to keep it this

UNLV Running Back, Charles Williams Photo Courtesy of UNLV Athletics

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Football Schedule Preview

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heavy campaign. After allowing the second-fewest points per game in the FBS (12.7), SDSU’s top-notch defense somehow still owns room for improvement.

Excluding Luq Barcoo, the Aztecs retain virtually every component of their unwavering secondary — along with two All-Mountain West defensive linemen in Cameron Thomas and Keshawn Banks.

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Air Force (road) November 14 CSU finally managed to relatively contain Air Force’s triple-option attack as the conference’s top rushing offense totaled 227 yards after averaging 430 throughout the previous three meetings. Ironically, Troy Calhoun’s troupe scored three lengthy passing touchdowns to secure its fourth consecutive win against the Rams last year.

Coupled with the

Photo by Derrick Tuskan, SDSU Athletics

the finale of now-retired coach Rocky Long’s tenure, SDSU manufactured its 10th consecutive winning season while hitting the 10-win mark via thumping Central Michigan in the New Mexico Bowl. Like most common challengers, the Aztecs have blown right past the Rams amid their steady affluence.

CSU proceeds to sunny California as losers in six of its last seven meetings against SDSU. In 2019, Long’s squad knocked off the Rams in textbook SDSU manner — by achieving just enough on offense to let its nationally prominent defense tell the tale. Brady Hoke, the man in charge when the Aztecs began their positive trend, seizes head-coaching duties after reuniting with SDSU last season to instruct the defensive line.

Given Hoke’s resume and the roster’s composition, the Aztecs are seemingly in line for another defensive-

San Diego State Defensive Back, Tariq Thompson Falcons’ signature ground game, formidable defense ascended AFA to an elite level as CSU’s rival fabricated its first 11-win campaign since 1998 while allowing

Wyoming Running Back, Xazavian Valladay

19.8 points per clash.

The Falcons face the task of recreating defensive potency without four of its five leading tacklers, three of which — Kyle Johnson, Jeremy Fejedelem and Grant Theil — all garnered substantial reps in the secondary. AFA also loses nose guard Mosese Fifita, the anchor of its defensive front.

Nevertheless, quarterback Donald Hammond III’s side certainly possesses the tools to light up the scoreboard yet again considering the Falcons return 1,050-yard rusher Kadin Remsberg in addition to two veteran offensive linemen in Nolan Laufenberg and Parker Ferguson.

Photo Courtesy of Wyoming Athletics

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Football Schedule Preview

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Utah State Wide Receiver & Kick Returner, Savon Scarver

Utah State (home) November 21 Following a laughable decade in Logan, Gary Andersen set the table for former coach Matt Wells at Utah State — who maintained the program’s upward trajectory by sending the Aggies to five bowls in six seasons. Hoping to pick up where he left off in 2012, Andersen and USU reunited to commence the coach’s second stint on the sidelines.

Rather than building on an 11-2 campaign, Andersen’s Aggies were plain old solid in 2019. Not great, not terrible, but USU performed decently while failing to turn many heads during a 7-6 season.

Decent could quite possibly become belowaverage as the Aggies middle-of-the-pack offense loses the Mountain West’s third-leading passer in

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Jordan Love. Junior Henri Columbi arises as the prime candidate to fill Love’s massive, 3,402-yard-wide shoes moving forward.

Neither primary running back Gerold Bright — who scampered for 179 yards in

Curtis Weaver. Frequently utilized reserve Demitri Washington should obtain Boise State (road) enhanced duties off the November 28 edge while BSU’s staff is CSU meets Boise State optimistic regarding junior Prospect Rd. • Ft. Collins to conclude4401 its E. regularScale Igiehon’s capacity 970-493-5400 season slate for the second to glue the unit together at consecutive season. nose tackle.

Unfortunately, the timing of Regardless, Broncos’ the match up isn’t the only fans probably aren’t losing recent tradition between the any sleep regarding how Rams and Broncos. Whether the defensive front will fare, a blowout or tight-knit affair, especially given the squad’s CSU has yet to snatch a plethora of returners from victory from the conference’s the Mountain West’s highestjuggernaut as BSU’s 31-24 scoring offense. BSU retains win at Canvas Stadium in leading rusher George 2019 extended its all-time Holani, who tallied more than series lead to 9-0.

1,200 all-purpose yards as BSU’s foremost area a breakout freshman last of concern pertains to year. Additionally, emerging rebuilding a defensive line quarterback Hank Bachmeier that loses three starters, still has two of his three including quarterbackmost-targeted weapons in gobbling defensive end Khalil Shakir and CT Thomas.

Boise State Quarterback, Hank Bachmeier

Photo Courtesy of Bronco Athletics

Photo Courtesy of Utah State Athletics

USU’s recent victory over CSU — nor top wideout Siaosi Mariner will be on the field to assist Columbi.

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What is “upcycling”? Upcycling means turning otherwise unusable material – such as ranchland that is too wet, rocky, steep or arid to support growing crops – and creating a higher value product from it.

Cattle ranching is the perfect example of “upcycling.” Cattle graze on grasslands turning natural resources like pastureland and solar energy into beef and other everyday products. They are upcyclers that take otherwise useless materials, add nutritional and environmental value, and transform them into a high-quality protein.

HOW DO CATTLE UPCYCLE?

About 90% of what cattle eat can’t be digested by humans, making them invaluable to a sustainable food system. Cattle consume those inedible plants and through their unique digestive system, transform these plants into a high-quality, nutrient-rich

protein. In addition to the grasses they graze on for most of their lives, cattle can eat numerous other food byproducts. They can take items like brewers’ grains, pea pulp, beet tops, and potato peelings and turn those products into beef.

Approximately 35% of the land in the contiguous United States is too wet, rocky, steep, or arid to support cultivated agriculture. However, cattle graze on plants native Did You Know? Approximately to their surroundings that 35% of the land in the humans can’t eat. Their contiguous U.S. is pasture unique, four-compartment or rangeland that is too wet, stomach and digestive sysrocky, steep,or arid to support tem is home to trillions of microbes. These microbes alcultivated agriculture. This land is able to support cattle, low cattle to benefit and gain nutritional value from these sheep, and goats— and sources that other animals protein upcycling. can’t digest.

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IMPACT: A CIRCULAR ECONOMY

The real value in upcycling is adding renewed value to products. Chief among those benefits are: 1. Reduced Landfill Cattle can feed on byproducts from biofuel and food production industries, such as distiller grains and wheat millings, reducing the volume of waste going to landfills.

2. More than Meat More than 44% of an animal’s live weight transforms into other goods such as: • Leather • Pharmaceuticals • Cosmetics • Pet food

3. An Improved Ecosystem Properly managed cattle grazing can improve rangeland and wildlife habitats. As the global population continues to grow, ruminant animals like beef cattle can help us make more protein with less.

Did You Know? Most cattle spend the majority of their lives grazing on pasture. Grain-finished cattle consume less than 11% grain in their lifetime feed ration.

To learn more, go to CoBeef.com.

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2020 Colorado State FOOTBALL ROSTER # Name

Position

Ht. Wt. Yr.

1 Jadon Walker

Wide Receiver

2 Justice McCoy

Quarterback

2 Dajon Owens

Defensive Back 6-0 190 Sr.

3 Caleb Blake

Defensive Back

3 E.J. Scott

Wide Receiver

4 Rashad Ajayi

Defensive Back 5-11 190 Jr.

4 Nate Craig-Myers

Wide Receiver

5 Dequan Jackson 5 Dante Wright 8 Quinn Brinnon 9 Warren Jackson

# Name

Position

6-0 195 R-Jr. Lithia Springs, Ga. / Chapel Hills

38 Adonis Rufran

Defensive Back 5-8 170 R-Jr. Colorado Springs, Colo. / William J. Palmer

6-1 205 R-Jr. New Orleans, La. / Saint Augustine

40 Dane Olson

Wide Receiver

5-10 165 R-Fr. San Marcos, Calif. / San Marcos

40 Corte Tapia

Tight End

6-2 240 R-Jr. Windsor, Colo. / Windsor

5-10 185 R-Fr. Winter Haven, Fla. / Bishop Moore Catholic

41 Alex Schreiner

Running Back

5-8 180 R-Fr. Lincoln, Neb. / Lincoln Christian

6-1 195 R-Jr. Powder Springs, Ga / McEachern

41 Ryan Stonehouse

Punter

5-11 180 Sr.

La Verne, Calif. / Mater Dei

Fairburn, Ga. / Langston Hughes

42 Mohamed Kamara

Linebacker

6-2 240 So.

Newark, N.J. / Central

6-2 205 Sr.

Dade City, Fla. / Tampa Catholic

43 Troy Golden

Linebacker

6-1 215 R-So. Orlando, Fla. / Olympia

Linebacker

6-1 230 Jr.

Jacksonville, Fla. / Robert E. Lee

45 Bam Amina

Linebacker

5-11 210 Fr.

Wide Receiver

5-9 170 So.

Navarre, Fla. / Navarre

47 David Aggrey

Running Back

5-10 200 R-So. Bronx, N.Y. / Rangeview

Defensive Back 6-0 205 Jr.

Pleasanton, Calif. / Bishop O’Dowd

49 Brandon Derrow

Defensive Line 6-3 265 R-So. Columbus, Ohio / St. Francis De Sales

Wide Receiver

Mission Hills, Calif. / Bishop Alemany

50 Cian Quiroga

9 Logan Stewart

Defensive Line 6-1 240 R-Fr. Denver, Colo. / Valor Christian

Defensive Back 6-1 210 R-Sr. Loveland, Colo. / Mountain View

52 Aidan Cullen

Defensive Line 6-5 255 R-Fr. Monument, Colo. / Palmer Ridge

10 Tywan Francis

Defensive Back 5-11 195 Jr.

53 Cade Plath

Linebacker

5-11 220 R-Fr. Chanhassen, Minn. / Chanhassen

10 Aaron Syverson

Quarterback

55 Tavian Brown

Linebacker

6-1 225 R-Fr. Demopolis, Ala. / Demopolis

11 Henry Blackburn

Defensive Back 5-11 195 Fr.

Boulder, Colo. / Fairview

55 Cam Reddy

Offensive Line

6-1 300 R-Jr. Londonderry, N.H. / Lawrence Acad.

12 Cam’ron Carter

Linebacker

6-1 220 Jr.

Tucker, Ga. / Tucker

56 Ches Jackson

Offensive Line

6-4 295 R-So. Tifton, Ga. / Tift County

12 Patrick O’Brien

Quarterback

6-5 240 R-Sr. San Juan Capistrano, Calif. / San Juan Hills

56 Rushton Roberts

Defensive Line 6-4 240 R-So. Jacksonville, Fla. / The Bolles School

13 Jeremiah Pruitte

Wide Receiver

6-5 215 R-Fr. Marietta, Ga. / Wheeler

57 Kavesz Sherard

Offensive Line

6-4 305 R-So. Anderson, S.C. / T. L. Hanna

16 Cameron Butler

Tight End

6-2 250 Sr.

60 Florian McCann

Offensive Line

6-3 300 R-So. Denver, Colo. / Mullen

17 Christian Cumber

Defensive Back 6-0 180 R-Jr. Denver, Colo. / J.K. Mullen

63 Alex Azusenis

Offensive Line

6-5 305 R-Fr. Powell, Ohio / Olentangy Liberty

64 Scott Brooks

Offensive Line

6-3 300 Sr.

18 Thomas Pannunzio Wide Receiver

6-6 215 Sr.

Hometown/ High school

Los Angeles, Calif. / Gardena

New Orleans, La. / Landry-Walker

6-0 195 R-Fr. Minnetonka, Minn. / Minnetonka

5-8 165 Jr.

Columbia, S.C. / Ridge View Pueblo, Colo. / Pueblo South

Ht. Wt. Yr.

Hometown/ High school

Mililani, Hawaii / Mililani

Moorpark, Calif. / Moorpark

19 Xavier Goldsmith

Defensive Back 5-8 170 R-Fr. Detroit, Mich. / Harrison

69 Barry Wesley

Offensive Line

6-6 305 R-Jr. Morrison, Colo. / Bear Creek

19 Jaylen Hearst

Wide Receiver

6-0 200 R-Fr. Fort Worth, Texas / Fossil Ridge

73 Gage Gaynor

Offensive Line

6-3 285 Fr.

20 A’Jon Vivens

Wide Receiver

5-11 195 R-So. Denver, Colo. / Mullen

76 John Blasco, Jr.

Offensive Line

6-6 325 R-Jr. Tacoma, Wash. / Stadium

23 Mikell Harvey

Defensive Back 5-8 165 R-So. Slidell, La. / Northshore

77 Keith Williams

Offensive Line

6-7 305 R-Sr. Baltimore, Md. / Overlea

24 Kyjuan Herndon

Running Back

Jacksonville, Fla. / Trinity Christian

81 Ty McCullouch

Wide Receiver

6-0 170 So.

25 Keevan Bailey

Defensive Back 5-11 175 So.

Conyers, Ga. / Salem

83 Chris McEahern

Wide Receiver

5-11 180 R-Fr. Arvada, Colo. / Arvada West

Los Angeles, Calif. / Cathedral

84 Gary Williams

Tight End

6-2 235 R-So. Charlotte, N.C. / Vance

85 Trey McBride

Tight End

5-9 175 Fr.

26 Marshaun Cameron Defensive Back 5-9 195 Sr.

5-10 185 R-So. Littleton, Colo. / ThunderRidge

Parkland, Fla. / Stoneman Douglas

Moreno Valley, Calif. / Rancho Verde

26 Logan Ludwig

Wide Receiver

6-4 260 Jr.

Fort Morgan, Colo. / Fort Morgan

27 Dylan Emery

Defensive Back 6-0 195 R-Fr. The Colony, Texas / Valor Christian

86 Ross Reiter

Long Snapper

5-11 230 Jr.

Phoenix, Ariz. / Barophy Prep

27 Jaylen Thomas

Running Back

5-10 215 So.

Colorado Spring, Colo. / Vista Ridge

87 Ryan Sayre

Wide Receiver

6-2 200 R-Sr. Castle Rock, Colo. / Douglas County

28 Christian Hunter

Running Back

5-10 195 So.

Fontana, Calif. / Kaiser

89 Kyle Helbig

Tight End

6-3 255 R-Fr. Broomfield, Colo. / Holy Family

29 Tyreese Jackson

Running Back

6-0 220 R-Fr. Jeanerette, La. / Westgate

90 Casey Irons, Jr.

Defensive Line 6-3 240 Fr.

30 Jack Grauberger

Linebacker

6-1 200 R-Sr. Fort Collins, Colo. / Fort Collins

92 Livingston Paogofie Defensive Line 6-1 270 Sr.

31 Ryan Lynch

Wide Receiver

6-1 190 R-So. Louisville, Colo. / Legacy

93 Jonathan Terry

Kicker

32 Marcus McElroy, Jr.

Running Back

5-11 230 Sr.

Denver, Colo / Mullen

94 Devin Phillips

Defensive Line 6-1 310 Jr.

33 Manny Jones

Defensive Line 6-4 275 Sr.

Cartersville, Ga. / Woodland

95 Blake Householder

Offensive Line

Gilmer, Texas / Gilmer Arlington, Texas / Bowie

6-1 190 R-Fr. Castle Rock, Colo. / Castle View Monroe, La. / Neville

5-11 270 R-So. Missouri City, Texas / Dulles

34 Hunter Williams

Running Back

5-7 185 R-So. Frisco, Texas / Frisco Centennial

97 Toby McBride

Defensive Line 6-3 280 R-Sr. Fort Morgan, Colo. / Fort Morgan

35 Joe DeLine

Kicker

6-0 220 R-Sr. Steamboat Springs, Colo. / Steamboat Springs

97 Huck Vollmar

Long Snapper

36 Payton Polson

Linebacker

5-11 200 R-Fr. Highlands Ranch, Colo. / Valor Christian

98 Ellison Hubbard

Defensive Line 6-1 285 Sr.

37 Blake Beecher

Linebacker

5-9 195 R-Fr. Norco, Calif. / Norco

99 Luis Lebron

Offensive Line

6-2 210 R-So. Colorado Springs, Colo. / Air Academy Loganville, Ga. / Grayson

6-4 325 R-Jr. Jacksonville, Fla. / Sandalwood

2020 Coaching Staff Steve Addazio - Head Coach Brian White – Senior Associate Head Coach Chuck Heater – Defensive Coordinator / Safeties Joey Lynch – Offensive Coordinator / Quarterbacks Louie Addazio – Offensive Line Cody Booth – Tight Ends Sean Cronin – Linebackers

26 | Green & Gold Report

Kap Dede, PhD – Outside Linebackers / Nickelbacks Kenny Guiton – Wide Receivers Anthony Perkins – Cornerbacks Antoine Smith – Defensive Line Scott McLafferty – Head Football Strength & Conditioning Coach Spencer Reid – Associate Strength and Conditioning Coach Elijah Blackman – Assistant Strength and Conditioning Coach

Nathan Morris – Assistant Strength and Conditioning Coach Clay Davie – Offensive Quality Control Jon Goodman – Special Teams Quality Control Ben Robertson – Defensive Quality Control Zac Jancek – Defensive Graduate Assistant Heath Parling – Offensive Graduate Assistant

Wide Receiver #9 Warren Jackson Photo Courtesy of Colorado State University Athletics

Green & Gold Report

| 27

Position Breakdown:

QUARTERBACKS Photo Courtesy of CSU Athletic Communications

By EDDIE HERZ

Patrick O’Brien

E

veryone knew athletic director Joe Parker would push Mike Bobo out the door if Colorado State failed to qualify for a bowl for a second consecutive season in 2019. When Collin Hill tore his ACL at Arkansas in week three, it seemed just as likely that the quarterback would exit alongside the head coach if the struggling Rams couldn’t get off the schneid.

Obviously, both possibilities materialized as Bobo and Hill darted to South Carolina following another losing campaign. As a result, the top of CSU’s QB depth chart will almost definitely look the same as it did during the majority of 2019 as Patrick O’Brien returns to lead the Rams after starting in the

team’s final nine contests.

Upon operating under first-string duties for the first time of his collegiate career, the California native completed 62 percent of his passes for 2,803 yards and 13 touchdowns as the Rams constructed a 3-6 record over his fill-in tenure.

Despite an abbreviated spring camp, offensive coordinator Joey Lynch felt pleased with the redshirt senior’s efforts as the quarterback digested the regime’s fundamental philosophies. Though O’Brien’s seven-interception season wasn’t perfect, Lynch believes O’Brien’s “key experience” will benefit the gunslinger.

“You really saw his development from his first

QUARTERBACK ROSTER YEAR Todd Centeio Jr Justice McCoy Jr Jonah O’Brien Fr Patrick O’Brien Sr Aaron Syverson Fr

28 | Green & Gold Report

HEIGHT WEIGHT

5-11 216 6-1 205 6-3 200 6-5 240 6-0 195

start to his last start,” Lynch says. “From getting around him this spring, I think he can throw and locate the football.

I’m excited about it. He gives us the ability to do what we want to do as an offense and allows us to succeed.”

Still, O’Brien has a lot to work on to become a reliable asset behind center. His shaky pocket awareness amounted to an incomplete campaign – exemplified when he often stepped right into pressure.

However, the nonthrowing aspects of O’Brien’s game don’t appear to worry Lynch. Frankly, the quarterback deserves a bit of a break considering unforeseen circumstances thrust him into the starting gig. And it’s worth noting how CSU’s coordinator sees potential in O’Brien’s capacity to navigate the pocket and improve his sometimessporadic decision-making.

“He has really good feet. Everyone knows he’s a throwing quarterback, but he’s

a good enough athlete where he can move in the pocket and escape and do some things.

He’s a smart guy, and he’s worked at it.”

There is nothing like a little competition to force the best out of teammates, especially in the quarterback room — where complacency kills. Beyond for injury insurance, this is why adding former Temple quarterback Todd Centeio can prove advantageous.

Because without Centeio in the mix, the only scholarship arm in the race behind O’Brien would be Justice McCoy— who never really pressed O’Brien amid multiple open competitions between the two for starting duties.

The dual-threat backup’s accomplishments in the American Athletic Conference surely suggest Centeio’s capabilities of motivating O’Brien further during fall camp. In 10 games last year, the redshirt junior completed 34-51 attempts for 444 yards while amassing 155 rushing yards on 47 carries.

“We truly believe that competition brings the best out of everybody,” Lynch says.

“Getting Toddy out here was great. He’s played well, and he’s a little different than Patty in that he can do some things with his legs. That’s going to allow us to be very multiple at quarterback. Justice McCoy is awfully confident in his ability too. I’m looking forward to getting out there and letting them compete in August.”

Position Breakdown:

RUNNING BACKS Photo Courtesy of CSU Athletic Communications

By EDDIE HERZ

Marcus McElroy

F

or the first time since Dalyn Dawkins departed, Colorado State finally manufactured a competent rushing attack to go along with former head coach Mike Bobo’s always-potent passing game.

Despite Marvin Kinsey Jr.’s issues holding onto the ball, the speedster represented the most explosive running back in the Mountain West upon leading the league in rushing through seven games.

However, when CSU dismissed Kinsey from the middle of last season, it was back to square one as Bobo’s backfield regressed to its prior, lackluster self.

Though CSU possesses a plethora of unproven backs heading into 2020, the squad appears to have ideal leadership in place to flip the script as Steve Addazio takes charge after consistently producing rushing success over his coaching tenure.

“To have a physical, tough program, you have to be able to stop the run and be able to run,” Addazio said at his introductory press conference in December.

“That’s a building block to winning a championship. You have to have the ability to run the football.”

Addazio arrives owning a run-first reputation in light of Boston College’s rushing

RUNNING BACK ROSTER YEAR David Aggrey So Kyjuan Herndon Fr Christian Hunter So Tyreese Jackson Fr Marcus McElroy Sr Alex Schreiner Fr Jaylen Thomas So Hunter Williams So

HEIGHT WEIGHT

5-10 200 5-9 175 5-10 195 6-0 220 5-11 230 5-8 180 5-10 215 5-7 185

offenses finishing 25th or better in the FBS during four of the coach’s seven seasons.

Nevertheless, the veteran sideline chief typically orients year one of a new gig “towards the talent on the roster.” In other words, the Rams may continue their pass-heavy trend right off the bat considering the program’s weapons at receiver.

While leaning on the run represents more of a long-term goal, Addazio won’t hesitate to prioritize the ground game if someone can emerge as a trusty contributor out of the backfield. Plus, new offensive coordinator/play-caller Joey Lynch holds similar values regarding a multifaceted offense’s importance.

“I truly believe that we have the ability to be balanced and have a downhill rushing attack,” Lynch says. “It starts up front, but we feel good about the group we got. You can’t be a one-dimensional offense. You can’t let the defense dictate what you are going to do.”

Whether or not Lynch’s optimism persists depends on Marcus McElroy, CSU’s only upperclassman running back. As the most experienced returner, the Denver native will likely start the year as the Rams’ lead back. The primary question pertains to if McElroy can maintain a starting job after struggling to make the most of his chances last year.

Subsequent to an encouraging fall camp, the senior was supposed to serve as one facet of a two-headed monster with Kinsey. Instead, he suffered an early injury before failing to effectively utilize his stocky frame when healthy en route to totaling 80 carries for 370 yards.

McElroy’s bright side is he’ll have more wiggle room than ever to overcome his woes, given the youth accompanying him on the depth chart.

Next in the envisioned arrangement stands the true sophomore duo of Jaylen Thomas and Christian Hunter — which very well could serve as a secondary, change-of-pace tandem if McElroy flourishes.

Amounting to a respectable first-year stint, Thomas amassed 222 yards and a trio of rushing touchdowns.

Meanwhile, despite flashing agility in practice, Hunter spent most of 2019 on the bench. The California native recorded just 24 touches for 99 yards. Regardless, his knowledge of the college level compared to many CSU backs bodes Hunter well.

Green & Gold Report

| 29

Position Breakdown:

RECEIVERS

Photo Courtesy of CSU Athletic Communications

By EDDIE HERZ

Dante Wright

W

hether or not Steve Addazio intends to bring a run-oriented offense from Boston College to Colorado State, doing so will likely have to wait a year or two. In addition to concerns at running back, it’s safe to assume quarterback Patrick O’Brien will match or surpass his 36.3 passing attempts per start from last season because of the remarkable retention within CSU’s wide receiver corps.

Upon returning more production than any position, the Rams welcome back every pass-catcher who meaningfully contributed to CSU’s 305 receiving yards per contest — which ranked third in the Mountain West. Undoubtedly, the Rams are in line to continue bullying opponents through the air in 2020. Maybe even to a greater extent than in 2019.

“We have some talent and depth,” first-year offensive coordinator Joey Lynch says.

“When you say those two words, you get excited as a coach. We have a lot of guys that can run and make plays for us. And we’ll be able to rotate some guys to keep the defense

30 | Green & Gold Report

on their heels with the depth, speed and overall diversity of that group.”

Of course, Warren Jackson leads the charge after making a mockery out of defensive backs across the nation. While hogging O’Brien’s attention, the over-the-top threat hoarded 77 grabs in 10 games for 1,119 yards and 11 touchdowns en route to firstteam all-league honors.

Jackson bypassed the NFL Draft in light of some unfinished business at CSU. Now, the only thing stopping the 6-foot-6 athlete from outdoing his previous campaign is an unforeseen injury.

Serving as a potent contrast to Jackson, Dante Wright returns following a historic collegiate introduction.

While displaying his versatility, the swift underclassman totaled 57 receptions for 805 yards and six total touchdowns. From returning punts to rushing for 214 yards, Wright truly did it all. “(Wright) is working really hard right now,” Jackson says. “He’s gaining weight and getting stronger. I expect

another explosive season from him. He’s getting the playbook down easily too. His speed brings a different dynamic to our offense. So, I’m really excited for what he can bring.”

Speaking volumes to the Rams’ array of receiving talent, Nate Craig-Myers rounds out a dazzling trio of front-line wideouts. The former Auburn Tiger and blue-chip recruit finished fourth on the squad in both receptions (23) and receiving yards (329) amid a smooth transition to CSU’s offense.

Making the Rams’ receiving game even more of a handful for opposing squads, defending CSU’s tight ends doesn’t get much easier.

Despite a cluster of injuries plaguing CSU’s tight ends last year, Trey McBride returns to Canvas Stadium after single-handedly

RECEIVER ROSTER

carrying the position toward efficacy. McBride hauled in 45 receptions for 560 yards and four touchdowns during a breakout campaign in which the Fort Morgan native became tougher to defend each week.

The sky’s seemingly the limit for the junior, given his substantial improvements in both receiving and blocking facets. This is especially the case considering the instant connection between McBride and new position coach Cody Booth. “Cody Booth is really teaching us the fundamentals of how to block,” McBride says.

“And with him having played in the NFL, he really knows how to block the big guys that shouldn’t be blocked. He brings a lot to the table. It’s really nice for me while I focus on my route running to be as well-rounded as possible.”

YEAR Cameron Butler Sr Nate Craig-Meyers Sr Jaylen Hearst

Fr Kyle Helbig Fr Warren Jackson Sr Logan Ludwig So Ryan Lynch So Trey McBride

Jr Ty McCullouch So Chris McEahern Fr Dane Olson Fr Thomas Pannunzio Jr Brian Polendey Jr Jeremiah Pruitte Fr Ryan Sayre Sr E.J. Scott Jr Corte Tapia Jr A’Jon Vivens So Dylan Walker Fr Jason Walker Jr Gary Williams So Dante Wright So

HEIGHT WEIGHT 6-2 250 6-2 205 6-0 200 6-3 255 6-6 210 5-10 185 6-1 190 6-4 260 6-0 170 5-11 180 5-10 165 5-8 165 6-6 230 6-5 215 6-2 200 6-1 195 6-2 240 5-11 195 6-4 236 6-0 195 6-2 235 5-9 170

Position Breakdown:

Offensive Line Photo Courtesy of CSU Athletic Communications

By EDDIE HERZ

Barry Wesley

N

either the position nor the side matter to Barry Wesley.

The redshirt junior offensive lineman has started in each of Colorado State’s previous 24 contests while boasting nine gameopening appearances at left guard, eight at right tackle and seven at left tackle.

Wherever a coach situates

Wesley in the trenches, the former walk-on finds a way to carry his weight.

However, not even the versatile upperclassman can play in multiple places at once, which would certainly be convenient for a less-than-dominant CSU offensive line losing a trio of last season’s starters in right guard Jeff Taylor, left guard

OFFENSIVE LINE ROSTER YEAR Alex Azusenis Fr John Blasco Jr Scott Brooks Sr Brian Crespo Fr Gage Gaynor Fr Blake Householder So Ches Jackson So Elijah Johnson

Sr Adam Korutz Sr Luis Lebron Jr Tautai Marks Fr Florian McCann So Dirk Nelson Fr Cam Reddy Jr Kavesz Sherard So Owen Snively Fr Barry Wesley Jr Keith Williams Sr

HEIGHT WEIGHT 6-5 305 6-6 325 6-3 300 6-5 317 6-3 285 5-11 270 6-4 290 6-5 300 6-2 290 6-4 325 6-2 280 6-3 300 6-2 296 6-1 300 6-4 305 6-4 280 6-6 305

6-7

305

Nouredin Nouili and left tackle T.J. Storment.

New offensive line coach Louie Addazio evidently meets an uphill climb in 2020. Luckily for the coach, it isn’t as if the unit loses every viable contributor from a campaign where the line actually began achieving cohesion down the stretch.

“I was thinking about our communication at practice today,” Wesley said last November. “We were gelling out there. We were on like a telepathic level. I feel like that is across the board now.”

Set to assist Wesley in running the show, the Rams retain a key facet in center Scott Brooks. After working his way into the rotation in 2018, the senior’s involvement skyrocketed as he went on to handle firststring snapping duties in all 12 games last year.

In all likelihood, right tackle Keith Williams will accompany Wesley and Brooks opposite the defense when CSU’s first bout rolls around. Upon improving his mobility, the 6-foot7-redshirt senior’s duties expanded from playing twice as a backup in 2018 to drawing four starts in 11 contests last season.

The remaining vacancies in the trenches are genuinely up for grabs.

Although, CSU’s staff started laying the foundation for an offensive line rebuild months ago. And even if the Rams

weren’t losing 31 combined starts from 2019, the new regime still would have hit the recruiting trail in search of “quality depth.” With Joey Lynch’s blistering pace of play in mind, the more linemen, the merrier.

“There’s no question that we feel like we can create quality depth,” the offensive coordinator says.

“Especially up front, injuries happen. You need depth, and at the same time, we are going to play with some tempo now. We aren’t just going to play five linemen.

We want to play multiple linemen throughout the game because of the amount of plays we want to run every Saturday.”

In addition to stockpiling five true freshmen of threestar caliber (247Sports.com), Steve Addazio worked old ties to snag a trio of former Boston College linemen in Cam Reddy, Adam Korutz and Elijah Johnson.

While only Korutz cracked BC’s two-deep rotation in 2019, all three are seemingly in line to compete for sizable roles after transferring from Chestnut Hill with prior knowledge of Addazio’s system.

“It’s going to be exciting to get out there with the freshmen and some of the guys we added through the transfer portal,” Lynch says. “And I think all the guys up front believe in the philosophy and have a great feel for what we are doing.”

Green & Gold Report

| 31

Position Breakdown:

Defensive Line

Manny Jones

L

oaded with budding talent, it appeared that Colorado State’s defensive line was in position to anchor its side of the ball before the 2019 season. By the campaign’s conclusion, the unit lived up to the hype in specific aspects. In others, the line never materialized.

The Rams worked their way out of the trenches to total 16 more sacks last year (29) than in 2018. But, when it came to containing the run, CSU stumbled to the fourth-worst mark in the Mountain West (196 yards allowed per game).

Nevertheless, the defensive front again possesses potential to surface as a robust force as position coach Antoine Smith seizes command of a troupe that retains much more than it waved goodbye to following Mike Bobo’s final hurrah.

“That’s the goal with every d-line I hope (to be the best in the conference),” senior defensive end Manny Jones said during spring

32 | Green & Gold Report

Photo Courtesy of CSU Athletic Communications

By EDDIE HERZ

camp. “The main goal is stop the run first and then work from there to pass rush and then just overall defense.”

The Rams’ apparent depth lies at the defensive tackles spots, where the squad should be able to rotate competent bodies at ease. In fact, Jamori Fox represents the only true DT from last year no longer on the roster, and he failed to record a tackle as a redshirt senior.

A pair of probable starters in senior Ellison Hubbard and junior Devin Phillips — who totaled 58 takedowns and 11 TFLs in 20 combined starts — highlight the remarkable turnover at DT. Mature depth may transpire in the form of Toby McBride if the unquestionably talented senior can shake the injury bug. The Fort Morgan product accumulated 22 tackles (five for loss) and two sacks in six games last year before suffering the third

season-ending ailment of his career. One can only imagine the damage McBride is capable of if he could stay healthy for the first time since 2016.

Speaking of damage, it’s about time to mention the most lethal weapon in the defensive trenches for the Rams — defensive end Manny Jones. The reigning All-Mountain West honorable mention has always contributed effectively, but Jones performed to a new degree in 2019 while notching a single-season most 54 takedowns and leading CSU with eight TFLs. Based on the senior’s initial thoughts, the Rams’ first-year staff should only pump more juice into Jones compared to previous campaigns as he looks to conclude his career assertively.

“There’s just a lot more energy, a lot more initiative to get stuff done,” Jones said during spring camp. “It’s a lot more getting there and

doing your job, running this drill as we went through in walk-throughs.”

The primary concern on the line resides at DE opposite Jones as losing both Jalen Bates and JanPhillip Bombek leaves the second starting role off the edge untaken.

A less-established player must rise to the occasion. However, lessestablished on the roster doesn’t necessarily mean inexperienced. In comes a seasoned asset in Miami graduate transfer Scott Patchan, who arrives after posting career-bests in both tackles (33) and TFLs (six) over 13 games.

“Hopefully, I can bring some experience,” Patchan says upon transferring in April. “I’m not trying to be a guy that’s hyped because I’m from Miami. I’m just trying to be another guy but also be a leader in that room, knowing I’m one of the oldest guys on the team.”

DEFENSIVE LINE ROSTER YEAR Cameron Bariteau Fr Aidan Cullen

Fr Brandon Derrow So Brandon Hickerson-Rooks So Ellison Hubbard Sr Casey Irons Jr. Fr Manny Jones Sr Toby McBride Sr James Mitchell Fr Livingston Paogofie Sr Scott Patchan Sr Devin Phillips Jr Cian Quiroga Fr Rushton Roberts So

HEIGHT WEIGHT

6-0 312 6-5 255 6-3 265 5-11 221 6-1 285 6-3 240 6-4 275 6-3 280 6-1 278 6-1 270 6-6 249 6-1 310 6-1 240 6-4 240

Position Breakdown:

Linebackers

Photo Courtesy of CSU Athletic Communications

By EDDIE HERZ

Dequan Jackson

Y

ou can’t mention Dequan Jackson without discussing Cam’ron Carter, and vice versa. On similar trajectories since the beginning, Colorado State’s pair of linebackers obtained loads of indispensable playing time as true freshmen before substantially improving last season.

Now, with two notable linebacker departures in Tron Folsom and Max McDonald,

CSU’s defense will depend on the formidable tandem’s production in the middle of the field more than ever.

Jackson and Carter learned from a previously lethal one-two punch of Josh Watson and Tre Thomas, who concluded their CSU careers by totaling more than 100 tackles apiece in 2018.

Fittingly, the Rams’ current junior linebackers are slowly forming into the hard-hitting

LINEBACKER ROSTER

YEAR Bam Amina Fr Blake Beecher

Fr Tavian Brown Fr Cam’ron Carter Jr Troy Golden So Jack Grauberger Sr Dequan Jackson Jr Mohamed Kamara So Aaron Moore Fr Payton Polson Fr Cade Plath Fr Sanjay Strickland Fr Chase Wilson Fr

HEIGHT WEIGHT

5-11 210 5-9 195 6-1 225 6-1 220 6-1 215 6-1 200 6-1 230 6-2 240 6-0 206 5-11 200 5-11 220 6-1 230 6-1 198

duo’s second coming.

“It felt like they were passing the torch,” Jackson says. “I learned the playbook from them a bit. Those guys were athletic and smart.

Being behind Josh so long taught me a lot. But we were more alike than a lot of people realized. Like the way I related to Josh seeing the game and the position he played. Then Cam’ron stepping into where Tre was.

We appreciate what they did.

But I’m definitely excited for us to do better and bigger things than those guys.”

While paving the way for the defense, Jackson emerged as a regular starter after successfully getting his feet wet in 10 games as a newcomer. The middle linebacker finished second on the squad (87) tackles and fourth in takedowns for loss (6.5) upon asserting himself as a vocal leader.

As a guaranteed starter, Jackson will guide the linebacker troupe for years to come. But there is no Batman without a Robin — especially in this case, considering Robin, or Carter, occasionally served as a captain alongside Jackson as well.

“Our chemistry has definitely grown, and I can get a feel for what Cam’ron is going to do out there, and that’s the same for him,” Jackson says. Being able to communicate to put ourselves in the best

position to make the play is where our chemistry is best. We cooperate and work together to where it gives us an advantage playing together.”

Carter’s contributions at outside linebacker are equally crucial for the Rams to furnish overall efficacy in the center of the defense. As a big-hitter with a confident demeanor, Carter surged past a freshman campaign where he tallied 29 tackles to a record 65 tackles and seven takedowns for loss in 2019.

The third starting linebacker job is where the Rams somewhat enter an unknown realm. However, though many backers will contend, Mohamed Kamara’s progress last year surfaces the New Jersey native as a plausible candidate.

Similar to Jackson and Carter, Kamara proved beneficial while acquiring invaluable reps as a freshman.

The once-touted recruit posted 22 tackles in nine outings. Kamara also cracked the starting lineup in four of CSU’s final seven contests upon achieving a noticeable late-season rhythm.

“The best man is going to play,” Jackson says. “But I think Mohamed has been working really hard since he got here. I feel like it will be a good rotation either way, though. We have a lot of good guys on top of Mohamed. I can tell this is going to be a good group.”

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Position Breakdown:

Defensive BACKS

Photo Courtesy of CSU Athletic Communications

By EDDIE HARZ

R

Logan Stewart

eplicating its basementdwelling status from a year prior, John Jancek’s discombobulated defense quickly sunk to the bottom of the Mountain West Conference upon averaging 40 points allowed through the squad’s 1-3 start in 2019.

From an outside perspective, the sliver of hope concerning a possible defensive turnaround dwindled before Colorado State even began its league schedule.

However, CSU’s defense decided it had enough once Toledo scampered all over Canvas Stadium in the final segment of the forgettable four-game portion.

The Rams’ defense revived itself thereafter — holding opponents to 24 points or less in half of their remaining games. Notably, elite play in the secondary heavily accounted for the defense’s leap toward respectability.

The resurgence certainly wasn’t enough for CSU’s athletic department to consider retaining Jancek when cleaning house.

Nonetheless, the extent to which the secondary excelled

34 | Green & Gold Report

lends new coordinator Chuck Heater a positive facet to lean on heading into 2020.

“The Toledo game was embarrassing, as bad as we played defensively,” former coach Mike Bobo said last October. “I think they were challenged after that, and the good thing about it is how they’ve responded.”

CSU’s secondary darted to the finish line en route to surrendering the conference’s least passing yards per game (181.6). Amid the progression, unestablished individuals such as Logan Stewart blossomed to bring the backfield together.

After surpassing expectations in his first full season out of junior college, Stewart will have to shoulder even more responsibility without graduated safety Jamal Hicks orchestrating the secondary.

Hicks became the first CSU defensive back in approximately four decades to accumulate more than 100 single-season tackles (117) as the heart and soul of the unit.

With Hicks’ mentoring him every step of the way, Stewart

recorded 76 tackles (third on team), three pass breakups and two interceptions. Now, the Loveland native keeps the spirit of Hicks alive upon capturing increasingly significant duties at safety. “(Hicks) has helped me a lot,” Stewart said last November. “He put me under his wing and taught me how to play at a high level, how to practice and how to watch film every day. He’s been a great leader and role model.”

Moving a tad closer to the line of scrimmage, prosperity at cornerback predominantly hinges on if Rashad Ajayi can respond from an unforeseen sophomore slump.

As a true freshman in 2018, the speedy cornerback frequently displayed his difference-making caliber over 12 starts. Ajayi’s team-best seven pass breakups, along with three forced turnovers, raised the bar tremendously for the Georgia product before

his sophomore campaign.

Surrounded by massive expectations, the cornerback suffered a lapse in production while totaling only eight tackles in nine games. However, Ajayi didn’t succumb to the suddenly blinding spotlight. Instead, lingering injuries hindered his preparedness. Assuming the ball-hawking corner avoids any setbacks, Ajayi should be on his way toward a bounceback campaign in which he re-establishes his reliability.

Marshaun Cameron, who aged like a fine wine during his first season at CSU, possesses favorable odds at starting in the defensive backfield as well. Seemingly setting an upward trend in motion, the agile cornerback started in seven of the Rams’ final eight clashes.

The Northern Colorado transfer concluded the campaign boasting a team-most five pass breakups and a respectable 37 tackles.

DEFENSIVE BACK ROSTER YEAR Rashad Ajayi Jr Keevan Bailey So Henry Blackburn Fr Caleb Blake Fr Quinn Brinnon Jr Marshaun Cameron Sr Christian Cumber Jr Dylan Emery Fr Tywan Francis Jr Xavier Goldsmith Fr Brandon Guzman Fr Mikell Harvey So Dajon Owens Sr Adonis Rufran Jr Logan Stewart Sr

HEIGHT WEIGHT

5-11 190 5-11 175 5-11 195 5-10 185 6-0 205 5-9 195 6-0 180 6-0 195 5-11 195 5-8 170 5-10 172 5-8 165 6-0 190 5-8 170 6-1 210

Position Breakdown:

SPECIALISTS

Photo Courtesy of CSU Athletic Communications

By EDDIE HARZ

Ryan Stonehouse

W

yatt Bryan’s departure hit Colorado State like a freight train last season.

Granted, considering the fouryear starter converted 11-18 field-goal attempts as a senior in 2018, more consistency from the kicker would have been ideal.

However, in addition to frequently splitting the uprights in crunch time, Bryan accumulated 53 successful three-point tries over his career while concluding his tenure as the program’s alltime leading scorer.

Bryan’s exit left CSU scrambling for a competent replacement as a neverending merry-go-round at

placekicker ensued in 2019.

Though plenty of candidates auditioned, none performed convincingly enough to seize the duties permanently.

Consequently, CSU again finds itself in desperate need of a reliable placekicker.

A trio of inexpert specialists — Cayden Camper, Max Poduska and Braxton Davis — combined to make 14-24 field-goal attempts as the squad’s 58.3 conversion percentage ranked dead last in the Mountain West. Though none of the players excelled, concerns intensify in 2020 since all three players are no longer on the roster.

Unless Camper returns from an indefinite

SPECIAL TEAMS ROSTER YEAR Joe DeLine Sr Robert Liss

Fr Ross Reiter Jr Ryan Stonehouse Sr Jonathan Terry Fr Huck Vollmar So Dante Wright So

HEIGHT WEIGHT

6-0 220 5-10 160 5-11 230 5-11 180 6-1 190 6-2 210 5-9 170

suspension, redshirt senior Joe DeLine and redshirt freshman Jonathan Terry stand first in line at placekicker. DeLine, who recently served as CSU’s primary holder, must shake some rust off his leg with zero kicks to his name.

Similarly, Terry has yet to propel a ball in college.

Beyond the unestablished duo, true freshman Robert Liss arises as the final contender for both placekicking and kickoff responsibilities. The Arizona native split the posts on 7-9 field goals and converted 24-27 PATs last season.

Luckily for the Rams, the punting situation represents the polar opposite of the kicking debacle. For the fourth consecutive season, CSU pencils in senior Ryan Stonehouse at starting punter. The two-time AllMountain West first-team member accrued 16 punts of at least 50 yards and pinned 13 pigskins inside the opposing 20. The specialist’s

career gross-yard average (47) ranks first in program history as well.

As for returning the ball, the Rams have sizeable large shoes to fill following Anthony Hawkins’ graduation. The explosive athlete proved lethal in the return game averaging 26 yards per return in 21-24 team attempts — which ranked 18th individually in the FBS. Hawkins’ departure leaves the role wide open to whomever emerges as a viable returner in practice. CSU’s running backs, wide receivers and a defensive back or two — such as Keevan Bailey — will certainly compete.

The punt returning circumstance is less murky as all-purpose phenom Dante Wright looks to build off a campaign where he hauled in 19-21 team attempts. Ideally, enhanced experience will grant the sophomore a better grasp of handling the job after averaging only 7.1 yards per return last year.

Defensively, special teams coach Jon Goodman takes over for a kick return defense that requires fine-tuning in light of the squad allowing 27.7 yards per return, the third-worst national mark. On the other hand, constructing a stout punt return defense shouldn’t represent a tough task. CSU assembled the conference’s third-best punting defense at 5.5 yards surrendered per boot.

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2020 Colorado State VOLLEYball SCHEDULE DATE OPPONENT

LOCATION

August 29

Ole Miss

Fort Collins, Colo.

September 1

Northern Colorado

Greeley, CO

September 4

Baylor

Waco, Texas

September 5

North Texas

Waco, Texas

September 5

Pepperdine

Waco, Texas

September 11

Boston College

Fort Collins, Colo.

September 24

New Mexico

Albuquerque, NM

September 26

San Diego State

San Diego, Calif.

October 1

Boise State

Fort Collins, Colo.

October 3

Utah State

Fort Collins, Colo.

October 9

Fresno State

Fort Collins, Colo.

October 10

Fresno State

Fort Collins, Colo.

October 16

San Jose State

San Jose, Calif.

October 17

San Jose State

San Jose, Calif.

October 30

Wyoming

Laramie, Wyo.

October 31

Wyoming

Laramie, Wyo.

November 5

UNLV

Fort Collins, Colo.

November 7

UNLV

Fort Collins, Colo.

November 13

Nevada

Reno, Nev.

November 14

Nevada

Reno, Nev.

November 20

Air Force

Fort Collins, Colo.

November 21

Air Force

Fort Collins, Colo.

36 | Green & Gold Report

CSU Head Coach Tom Hilbert Photo Courtesy of CSU Athletic Communications

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2020 Colorado State VOLLEYball ROSTER #

NAME

HT POS

CLASS HOMETOWN (LAST SCHOOL)

0

Alyssa Bert

5-10 Defensive Specialist

SO

Oklahoma City, OK (Westmoore)

1

Madison Boles

5-11 Outside Hitter

SO

Tacoma, WA (Life Christian Academy)

2

Ellie Gubser

6-4

Opposite

SR

Colorado Springs, Colo. (Cheyenne Mountain)

3

Barrett Power

5-9

Setter

FR

Lincoln, NE (Lincoln Christian School)

4

Brooke Hudson

5-3

Defensive Specialist

SO

Houston, Texas (Cypress Lake)

5

Jenna Heinemeyer

5-6

Defensive Specialist

SR

Parker, CO. (Regis Jesuit)

7

Sasha Colombo

6-2

Middle Blocker/Opposite

JR

Milan, Italy (Liceo Scientifico Giordano Bruno)

8

Alexa Roumeliotis

5-7

Defensive Specialist

SR

Menlo Park, CA (Menlo-Atherton)

9

Neemah Weathers

6-1

Middle Blocker

FR

Colorado Springs, CO (Palmer Ridge)

10

Jacqi Van Liefde

6-0

Outside Hitter

SO

Chula Vista, CA. (Eastlake)

11

Ciera Zimmerman

6-0

Setter

SO

Auburn, WA (Auburn Riverside)

13

Genesis Sheridan

6-1

Middle Blocker

JR

Crystal Lake, IL (Prairie Ridge)

14

Alyssa Groves

6-4

Opposite

FR

Slayton, MN (Murray County Central)

15

Breana Runnels

5-10 Outside Hitter

SR

Bakersfield, CA (Independence)

17

Kennedy Stanford

5-10 Outside Hitter

FR

Grand Prairie, TX (Lamar)

27

Helena Perez

5-6

Defensive Specialist

FR

Martinez, CA (Carondelet)

42

Karina Leber

6-3

Middle Blocker

FR

Trevor, WI (Wilmot Union)

49

Ruby Kayser

5-8

Defensive Specialist

FR

Canby, OR (Canby)

Rams Volleyball Coaching Staff Tom Hilbert Head Coach

38 | Green & Gold Report

Emily Kohan

Associate Coach

Adrianna Blackman Assistant Coach

Bri Olmstead

Director of Volleyball Operations

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Green & Gold Report

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Volleyball Preview

By EDDIE HeRZ

Rebuilding Rams expect another successful season

40 | Green & Gold Report

Photo Courtesy of CSU Athletic Communications

Outside Hitter, Breana Runnels

M

any teams in Colorado State’s circumstance would chalk off the upcoming campaign as a transitional phase and one in which players gradually ease into new roles with hopes of success further down the line.

Considering each collegiate program eventually waves goodbye to its signature veterans, laying a fresh foundation inevitably surfaces as a requirement every few years. However, when glancing at CSU’s results under 12-time Mountain West Coach of the year Tom Hilbert, it’s nearly impossible to differentiate the occasional rebuilding

season from any other segment within the Rams’ annual dominance.

That’s because no one truly categorizes a campaign as a rebuild if the squad maintains prosperity upon starting from scratch — like CSU has seamlessly achieved when necessary over its current streak of 23 consecutive NCAA Tournament appearances.

No matter how many positions Hilbert must replace, the Rams always manage to overcome vital departures. With this in mind, despite a COVID-19 impaired offseason, the sideline chief sees no room for excuses following graduations from three 2019 all-conference recipients

— who combined to receive the honor on 11 occasions throughout their careers.

“We lost so much valuable training time. But you don’t have time to sit back and worry and make excuses,” Hilbert says.

“We need to get these guys going. We need to be who we are and try to be the best version of who we are. I know that I’m going to bust my butt like I do every year, and so is my staff to get people ready.”

Given CSU’s consistent dominance in the Mountain West, Hilbert is certainly confident in the Rams’ potential heading into 2020.

Still, as the coach alluded to, coronavirus’ impact creates unique challenges as CSU

prepares for the season after climbing to No. 11 in the country and posting a 29-2 record last year.

Besides losing meaningful training amid social-distancing procedures, the nation’s quarantine drastically impeded the team’s ability to bond off the court.

Compared to other years, progressing relationships is particularly crucial with seven freshmen in the mix.

Not to mention several less-experienced returners must grow accustomed to the roster’s altered configuration as well.

After all, developing chemistry and comfortability always begins away from the arena.

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42 | Green & Gold Report

Photo Courtesy of CSU Athletic Communications

Middle Blocker, Sasha Colombo

“It’s such a strange dynamic because, even though everyone comes on campus, we’ve had to keep the freshmen separate from the returners until everything sort of gets controlled,” Hilbert says.

“We try to make it fun when these guys get into town.

Compared to what we’ve done in the past with getting them out in the community, meeting each other, having dinners, none of that has happened. I feel especially for these freshmen.”

Regardless, it isn’t as if the Rams face a disadvantage. All collegiate volleyball programs are dealing with similar struggles.

And during the virtualfriendly phase, CSU

continues to adapt in an attempt to keep every player on the same page — which commenced via meeting three times per week amid the worst of quarantine.

“We need to as a team really, really talk to them a lot,” Hilbert says. “And we do that. We have partners paired out for them, and they talk to them on a regular basis and check in with each other. Those things are important, and we’ve done well with them.”

COVID-19 constraints aside, two components of Hilbert’s four-player senior class in outside hitter Breana Runnels and libero Alexa Roumeliotis represent both the Rams’ most experienced and productive returners from last year’s group.

Once the campaign presumably rolls around, Runnels will hit the hardwood as CSU’s prime source of offense fresh off a prolific, all-conference stint where the redshirt senior’s 417 kills led the Mountain West. Equally as reliable, Roumeliotis finished first on the team in digs and established herself as an adept server in 2019.

Runnels and Roumeliotis arrive in Fort Collins boasting the most matches under their belts by a longshot. Coupled with the duo, Hilbert believes third-year sophomores Ciera Zimmerman and Jacqi Van Liefde can round out “a nice base” for the Rams.

Given her experience in the system, Zimmerman

is in line to occupy the gaping vacancy left by Katie Oleksak, the reigning Mountain West Player of the Year. As one of the best setters in program history, Oleksak concluded her collegiate tenure forcefully upon leading the Mountain West in assists (1,160).

Stepping in for CSU’s all-time assister is surely a tall task. However, it undoubtedly bodes the Rams well that Zimmerman performed promisingly in her first eligible season via dishing out 97 assists in 24 sets off the bench.

“She’s a very good player,” Hilbert says. “She got in a decent amount of matches last year, and she really knows how to run things out there.”

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Van Liefde, an outside hitter, wisely accepted a redshirt one season ago in light of the lineup’s maturity and already-apparent depth. Now, she embraces enhanced responsibilities alongside Runnels — who will take all the offensive help she can get in the absence of third-leading killer Jessica Jackson.

“Jackson came through and was very durable and very solid for us,” Hilbert says. “So, then we go into (last) year, and I wasn’t going to waste another year of Jacqi’s eligibility because she’s going to be a phenomenal force for us.

She’s extremely talented.”

Beyond the aforementioned, four-player base, CSU hunts for an entirely new rotation at middle blocker following departures from all-

44 | Green & Gold Report

around stars Kirstie Hillyer and Paulina Hougaard-Jensen.

The ferocious competitors accumulated 86 percent of the Rams’ total blocks combined while Hillyer’s 315 kills were the most on the squad behind Runnels in 2019.

Finding reinforcements might not occur overnight.

But like other positions across the court, Hilbert has quite a few individuals in mind who appear capable of stepping up. Namely, junior Sasha Colombo obtained a decent amount of action as a reserve last season after switching back to her primary position from outside hitter.

Hilbert also signed a pair of potentially key newcomers in junior college transfer Genesis Sheridan and touted freshman Karina Leber — who encouragingly

tallied 495 kills and 36 blocks as a senior at Wilmot Union High School in Wisconsin. “(Leber) is a really good player, and she came from a really high-level club,” Hilbert says. “She’s physical and can do a lot. She’s been starting at a high level for a long time. The two middles that we added that have a good chance of playing are her and Genesis Sheridan.”

One honestly couldn’t blame the Rams if they felt utterly discombobulated right now. As the staff attempts to figure out who fits where, coaches can’t even watch players work out, let alone interact faceto-face. Nonetheless, as a whole, CSU hasn’t and simply won’t allow the current difficulties to deter its focus.

Losing neither pivotal

assets nor the effects of COVID-19 can demoralize the conference-title hungry Rams. From top to bottom, CSU’s eyes remain on the prize. And if the program’s achievements over the past two decades indicate anything, it’s that the Rams will come together to discover the light at the end of the tunnel. Just like they always do.

“It’s really about just navigating through this, keeping people fired up and excited about what is going on,” Hilbert says. “These are challenges. But it’s my job to manage these guys’ experience, so they get something out of it. And that is what we are going to do. I’ve seen really good leadership, which is usually an indicator that people are ready to go.”

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Green & Gold Report

| 45

Football Recruiting

SPONSORED BY:

Colorado’s Top 12 Instate Recruits - Class of 2021

Rank Player

Pos.

Ht. / Wt.

247Sports Composite Rating

High School / Hometown

#1

Jake Rubley

QB

6-3 / 205

National 198, Position 11

Highlands Ranch / Littleton, CO

#2

Trey Zuhn

OT

6-6 / 300

National 259, Position 22

Fossil Ridge / Fort Collins, CO

#3

Terrance Ferguson

TE

6-5 / 230

National 280, Position 12

Heritage / Littleton, CO

#4

Sam Hart

TE

6-5 / 225

National 380, Position 16

Cherokee Trail / Aurora, CO

#5

Erik Olsen

TE

6-5 / 230

National 483, Position 22

Heritage / Littleton, CO

#6

Gunnar Helm

TE

6-5 / 225

National 566, Position 26

Cherry Creek / Englewood, CO

#7

Arden Walker

DE

6-4 / 245

National 749, Position 51

Cherry Creek / Englewood, CO

#8

Brayden Wood

DT

6-3 / 267

National 970, Position 52

Fairview / Boulder, CO

#9

Braylen Nelson

OT

6-5 / 310

National NA, Position 90

Vista Peak / Aurora, CO

#10

Beau Freyler

S

6-2 / 195

National NA, Position 86

Pine Creek / Colorado Springs, CO

#11

Kaden Dudley

ATH

5-11 / 190

National NA, Position 80

Palmer Ridge / Monument, CO

#12

Chase Penry

WR

6-1 / 185

National NA, Position 174

Cherry Creek / Englewood, CO

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

11

12

46 | Green & Gold Report

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Green & Gold Report

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48 | Green & Gold Report