Colorado State will open fall camp for the third time under head coach Jay Norvell early Friday morning in the shadows of Canvas Stadium, hoping to take another step forward in 2024.
CSU is coming off a 5-7 season a year ago. The Rams went 3-5 in the Mountain West Conference and have been picked to finish fifth in the league this year.
The Rams expect big seasons from several players, specifically their preseason all-conference selections in wide receiver Tory Horton, defensive back Jack Howell, offensive lineman Jacob Gardner and linebacker Chase Wilson.
A successful season will come down to not only the expected production of those players, but others who showed improvement last year and newcomers to the team as well.
Here are a few storylines to watch as the team opens camp and begins preparation for the 2024 season, which begins Aug. 31 at Texas.
Year 2 for BFN
The Monday before the Rams traveled to Boulder to face Colorado in the Rocky Mountain Showdown last year, Brayden Fowler-Nicolosi was named the team’s starting quarterback over Clay Millen, who had started the season opener.
In his debut as a starter, Fowler-Nicolosi passed for 367 yards and three touchdowns in the Rams’ overtime loss to the Buffs. However, he was intercepted three times and took two sacks. The young quarterback knew there would be growing pains, but he remained composed and eventually ended the season with 3.460 yards and 22 touchdowns.
“He’s just a go-getter type of quarterback,” Horton said at Mountain West media days. “You can tell he has a very strong arm. He can zip it if he has to and that’s what we like to see. He was only just a freshman last year and now we consider him as a vet and we consider him as another leader.”
Horton was on the receiving end of eight of Fowler-Nicolosi’s touchdown passes last season.
Now a sophomore, Fowler-Nicolosi had a solid spring and is looking to continue his progression in fall camp.
Support for Horton
Horton has been everything he was expected to be when he came to CSU from Nevada with Norvell.
Last season, he caught 96 passes for 1,136 yards and eight touchdowns. In two years at CSU, he has 2,267 yards and 16 touchdowns.
Those numbers will obviously attract attention, and after the transfers of receivers Justus Ross-Simmons and Louis Brown IV — who were second and third in receiving yards among wideouts last season — others will need to step up.
Among them are Dylan Goffney, who caught 23 passes for 298 yards and two touchdowns last season after transferring from SMU. The Rams also added receiver help from the transfer portal in Donovan Ollie from Cincinnati. CSU fans may remember Ollie better from his time at Washington State, where he started 24 games in four seasons for the Cougars with 70 catches for 807 yards. He had two touchdown catches against the Rams in 2022.
Other help for Horton should come from Caleb Goodie in his second season with the Rams, as well as returners Jamari Person, Matt Greenwald and Dane Olson. The Rams also have a couple of promising freshmen on their roster, including four-star recruit Jordan Ross.
Defensive replacements
The departure of Mountain West defensive player of the year Mo Kamara to the NFL and Grady Kelly to the transfer portal have left holes in the Rams’ defensive line, but one player expected to contribute heavily up front is sophomore Nuer Gatkouth. A first-team freshman All-American last season, Gatkouth had 38 tackles, a half a sack and an interception.
He will be joined on the line by Cam Bariteau, who returns for his fifth season after recording 19 tackles, four for loss, and a fumble recovery last season. Another expected contributor up front is Kennedy McDowell, who played in the Rams’ first six games last year before an injury ended his season.
While Wilson returns to lead the linebackers, the Rams will need to replace Justin Sanchez at the other linebacker position. Although he didn’t make a start last season, Buom Jock is expected to be an impact in the middle of the Rams’ defense. He played in all 12 games last season and recorded 34 tackles with a fumble recovery.
“Last year, we didn’t really know who Buom Jock was,” Howell said at Mountain West media days. “Throughout the season, he really made a name for himself. This year, it’s fun to see him just being comfortable and being excited to step into that role. He knows he’s a starter. He knows he has a big role and he’s going to have to contribute a lot.”
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