Jake Bennett and Nolan Peralta: Experience, leadership up front gives Rams solid depth

In Colorado State’s Green and Gold Game Saturday, there were some plays to remember and some plays to forget for Mike Bobo’s squad. Inconsistencies in the passing game led to a rough start for both Nick Stevens and Faton Bauta, as well as the offense in general. But, the overall effort of the Rams pleased the second-year head coach.

“That was a great day, Bobo said after the contest. “I loved the fan attendance. I loved the clinic they had for the kids. It was great to come in and see the kids giving our guys high fives. It’s always good when you can play any type of game; I know it’s a spring scrimmage but the support there for our football team was good to see and I thought the guys came out and competed hard.”

The annual Green and Gold Game was the last session of the spring, and moving forward the Rams are comfortable with the state of the team.

Perhaps the most consistent and experienced position group for the Rams is the offensive line, where CSU has seven or eight guys that could presumably play and compete at a high level. In the team’s introductory spring press conference, Bobo pointed to Jake Bennett as a player he expected to step up and lead moving forward. After the inter-team scrimmage, Bobo once again pointed to Bennett, when asked about on-field leadership.

“I would say Jake Bennet has done a nice job of that,” Bobo explained of leaders stepping up. “Jake Bennet is getting healthy. He’s probably our most-improved lineman that we have from last year. Understanding what we are doing offensively, understanding what Coach (Will) Friend wants as far as calls and getting us in the right calls.”

One of four returning starters for the Rams up front, Bennett is a player that has battled injuries throughout his time at CSU, but when healthy, has made a huge impact. Besides raw physicality, Bennett has a high football IQ and has a firm grasp of what the offense needs to do in various situations. Communication is arguably the most important aspect of the relationship with a center and the quarterback, and with Bennett up front, CSU has a recipe for success.

Along with Bennett, Bobo had high praise for tight end Nolan Peralta, who was recently recognized for his success in the classroom by the National Football Foundation Colorado Chapter.

“Nolan Peralta  is a leader by example,” Bobo said Saturday. “The way he attacks every single day and in everything he does, from school, to the weight room, to practice, to games. I love Nolan Peralta. If you had 10 Nolan Peralta’s, we would really have a chance to be very, very good.”

Peralta recently told BSN, that the Rams are developing a Mountain West Championship mindset, and that starts with how he approaches everything he does in life.

“To take advantage of the opportunity in the classroom, being able to get a free education is huge to me,” Peralta explained to BSN. “To be able to use that and progress my life forward. Because I know football’s going to end one day. So, it’s about be not just being excellent in one aspect of my life, every aspect of my life; socially, academically, spiritually and in football.”

Players like Peralta and Bennett are what could make the difference for the Rams in Bobo’s second year. They have the mindset to constantly improve, and have a firm grasp of how to live their lives on and off the field.