FORT COLLINS, CO. — Colorado State football is going to take an experienced roster into the 2021 season.
As of Jan. 04 there have already been seven seniors that have announced their return, and that doesn’t even include the two graduate transfers the Rams are adding from Temple, or Trey McBride, who decided to skip the NFL Draft this time around and come back for one last season with his older brother Toby.
Most recently, running back Marcus McElroy and defensive Marshaun Cameron announced they will be coming back next year. Both players made those decisions public on Monday afternoon via Twitter.
I’m coming back…. that’s all #CSURams pic.twitter.com/RpFMghUuMz
— Marcus McElroy Jr. (@marcusnochill) January 4, 2021
In addition to the eldest McBride, Scott Patchan, Ellison Hubbard and Manny Jones will all be back for a final go around in the Green & Gold, which is great news for defensive coordinator Chuck Heater. The Rams ranked No. 34 in the country in total defense last year and a big reason why was the success of the defensive line. After allowing 196 rushing yards per game in 2019, the Rams allowed just 108.5 per game in 2020. And after averaging roughly 2.5 sacks per game in 2019, CSU increased that production to 4.0 this past fall.
The secondary was not quite as strong as the defensive line, so Heater will be looking to improve things there in his second season back at CSU. That said, Cameron was definitely a bright spot with 13 defensive stops in just four games played. According to Pro Football Focus, Cameron’s coverage grade of 76.9 trailed only Berdale Robins and Darren Hall in the Mountain West. And he was obviously the star of the Border War with both a pick-six and forced fumble in the game.
Between Rashad Ajayi, Keevan Bailey and Cameron, the secondary will return a lot of players with significant snaps under their belt. The addition of Linwood Crump (Temple) brings more depth to the group as well. In the three seasons he saw most of his playing time in, Crump recorded 12 pass deflections and three interceptions with the Owls. He’ll now come across the country with fellow former Temple starter, Vincent Picozzi (OL), who is projecting to be a Day 1 starter on the offensive line.
While losing Patrick O’Brien to the University of Washington is certainly a significant blow to CSU’s depth in the quarterback room and offense as a whole, running back Marcus McElroy coming back is big for a couple of reasons — none more valuable than what he brings as a leader. It should also be stated that having an experienced ball carrier, and a guy that you trust in pass protection, is always an asset for any offense.
Finally, Ryan Stonehouse will return for a fifth campaign as CSU’s starting punter. The red head with a cannon of a leg has already had a historic career, but he could potentially win a Ray Guy Award with another stellar season. Or, at the very least, Stonehouse should be able to help his NFL draft stock, and potentially help lead the Rams to a bowl game.
Seniors Staying
RB Marcus McElroy
DB Marshaun Cameron
DL Scott Patchan
DL Toby McBride
DL Ellison Hubbard
DL Manny Jones
P Ryan Stonehouse
Forgoing NFL Draft
TE Trey McBride
Transfers (In)
OL Vincent Picozzi (Temple)
DB Linwood Crump (Temple)
Transfers (Out)
QB Patrick O’Brien (Washington)
WR Jeremiah Pruitte (Florida A&M)
WR Jadon Walker (TBD)
DB Caleb Blake (TBD)
DL Livingston Pagofie (TBD)
Undetermined
OL Keith Williams
WR Nate Craig-Myers
S Logan Stewart
