6-foot-8, 325-pound offensive tackle chooses CSU

It all starts up front.

Colorado State has made a serious effort to beef up in the trenches these past few years and it’s one of the biggest reasons the offense made major strides in 2023.

Obviously it takes talent at the skill positions to be explosive but without an offensive line you can depend on, it really doesn’t matter how much arm talent you have under center or how much speed you possess out wide.

Moving forward the CSU staff is ensuring that the Rams will continue to have the necessary depth up front by prioritizing offensive lineman with unique athletic profiles and frames that will allow the Green & Gold to produce players with NFL-type bodies.

The most recent commitment for CSU certainly looks like someone that would fit in an NFL locker room — at least from a size standpoint. Brayden Thompson, a 6-foot-8, 325-pound offensive tackle out of Wisconsin, announced his allegiance to the Rams on Monday. Thompson took an official visit to campus this past weekend and less than 24 hours later, he informed the coaches of his intent to play collegiately in Fort Collins.

A three-star prospect on 247Sports, Thompson also has offers listed from Eastern Michigan and Northern Iowa. He may be flying a bit under the radar when it comes to his recruitment process though.

Thompson’s arms already measure 33.5 inches long with a wingspan of 83.5 inches. As a guy that will graduate from high school early and potentially be able to early enroll, I’ve gotta imagine the staff are excited about the possibility of getting him on campus and having the chance to put him through two full springs and summers before even likely using any of his eligibility.

There are a lot of things that coaches can teach a player once they’re in the program. The one thing you cannot teach is raw size.

Bill Best has done a terrific job of rebuilding the CSU offensive line room in recent recruiting cycles. He may have just found another diamond in the rough in Brayden Thompson.