Coleman Key leaves Colorado State but will stay with team through Arizona Bowl

Well, this is awkward. Or, maybe not.

Redshirt freshman quarterback Coleman Key was granted his release from the Colorado State Rams football team on Monday but will remain with the team through the Arizona Bowl. As has been the case with this “Ramily” head coach Mike Bobo as well as offensive coordinator Will Friend were more then friendly when approaching the topic in post-practice interviews.

“Well, Coleman decided to pursue other opportunities starting next semester and we’ve granted him a full release and support him in any way and wish him the best,” Bobo said.

“We’d like him to stay through the bowl,” Bobo continued. “He’s still part of this team. We still love Coleman. He’s going to finish out his finals and go through the bowl with this football team.”

“We, obviously, are all pulling for him (Key), whatever he decides to do,” Friend explained. “We’re a family here and wish him the best and hope things work out for him wherever he decides to go.”

When asked if he will continue to run the second-team offense, Friend said, “Yes, that’s what he did today.”

Bobo also said Key is still second on the depth chart and would come in during the Arizona Bowl if anything happened to Stevens.

While Nick Stevens was quarterback 1A for CSU during Bobo’s first year as head coach, Key was quarterback 1B, sharing games with Stevens many times during the 2015 season. But, as we asked Bobo many times during the year, Stevens learned the offense more quickly and in more depth, then, the redshirt sophomore Stevens went out and practiced better during the week many times, earning starts.

Key may have seen the writing on the wall. Stevens was ahead of him all year long, earning the starting job in August and while there would have been competition between the two, Stevens likely would have won out again. No one can say for sure, of course.

If there were a time for Key to take the starting job it was in Week 2 against the Minnesota Golden Gophers. Stevens had been inefficient that game, throwing two interceptions and only 51 yards, so Key was asked to play and did well. Key hit Joe Hansley on a 49-yard pass at the start of the fourth quarter to take the 17-13 lead. Then, following Minnesota’s score, the Rams were trailing 20-17 with only 55 seconds to play; Key led a last-second field goal drive to send the game into overtime. CSU lost in OT following Dalyn Dawkins’ fumble and a Minnesota field goal and Key remained the backup.

Beyond Stevens, though, Bobo likes to have five quarterbacks on the roster and said post-practice Monday he expects to have that many going into spring ball. Former Georgia quarterback Faton Bauta made an official visit to Colorado State this weekend. Unlike Key, he will not play in Georgia’s bowl game. If the Rams were to land him, Bauta would not have to wait to suit up as a graduate student and is a junior eligibility-wise.

All told, there are four quarterbacks on the roster besides Key, in Stevens, redshirt junior Craig Leonard and freshmen J.C. Robles and Chandler Drachslin.

But, first up is the NOVA Home Loans Arizona Bowl, which will kick off on Dec. 29 at 5:30 p.m. MT on KDVR FOX 31. Key will be the backup quarterback and may even see some action in the game.