10 Colorado State football players were recognized by the National Football Foundation Colorado Chapter Monday, the school announced in a general release.
Wyatt Bryan and Nolan Peralta were first-team honorees, while eight other Rams were earned honorable mention nods: Cole Anderson, Kivon Cartwright, Hayden Hunt, Izzy Mathews, Colby Meeks, Kevin Nutt Jr., Trent Sieg and Nick Stevens. Eight of the 10 honorees will return to CSU in the fall, with Anderson and Cartwright both graduating.
The criteria to qualify for first-team academic recognition is a cumulative GPA of 3.30 or higher, in addition to at least a 70-percent participation rate as a starter or regular contributor. In total, 162 student-athletes received recognition among the 10 Colorado collegiate football programs.
Bryan connected on 16-22 field goal attempts last season, the fifth-most in a CSU single-season history. As a mechanical engineering major, Bryan holds a 3.68 grade-point-average. Big brains and a big leg.
Peralta holds a 3.63 GPA, and is a biological sciences major. Serving primarily in a blocking role in 2015, Peralta played in 12 games for CSU. In 2016 Peralta is expected to play a larger role in the passing game, while continuing to excel as a key piece in the Rams rushing attack.
Along with the 10 CSU players selected, 2016 signee Toby McBride will be one of 15 prep players recognized at the banquet. McBride, a star fullback/defensive end in high school, is also a two-time state wrestling champion.
With wide receiver Elroy Masters recently being selected to participate in an NCAA Leadership Forum, and now ten players, eight of which are current, being honored by the NFF Colorado Chapter, there are many Rams excelling in the classroom and off the field in general this offseason.
Head coach Mike Bobo has expressed a desire to recruit high character guys, players that do it the right way. Although most of these players were recruited by the previous staff, they are shining examples of the type of players the CSU coaches want in the green and gold.
