Colorado State has a chance to be really good on the defensive side in 2023.  

With the majority of last year’s impactful squad back for another season under Freddie Banks, early expectations are that the Rams can have one of, if not the top defense in the Mountain West this fall. 

CSU is loaded in the trenches, with talent not just in the starting lineup but really throughout the entire rotation. Mo Kamara may be the headliner of the defensive linemen, however, there are going to be upwards of 10 guys that have a chance to be impactful. And what’s really encouraging is that the group includes talent from each of the last three signing classes. 

In the secondary the Rams are fortunate to have all four of their most productive guys returning from a year ago. Jack Howell, Henry Blackburn, Ayden Hector and Chigozie Anusiem are all still representing the Green & Gold. So while the depth behind them may not be on par with, say the defensive line, assuming a few of the transfers are even average, you feel pretty good about the defensive backs right now as well. 

The most inexperienced room at the moment is the linebackers. With DeQuan Jackson and Cam’Ron Carter no longer in the picture — a duo that played in 101 combined games and recorded 624 combined total tackles over the last five years — it’s up to a relatively unproven group to step up and defend the middle of the field for CSU. Fortunately, according to Jay Norvell, the Rams are actually more athletic at the position than they were at this same time last year. 

During Norvell’s first spring at CSU, the defensive staff was extremely open about wanting to see more from the veteran linebackers on the roster. In fact, they were so blunt about needing more from those guys that Carter was leapfrogged by Drew Kulick on the depth chart for the 2022 spring game. 

Eventually Carter and Jackson found their groove in the 4-2-5 scheme and went on to have productive final seasons in a CSU uniform. Even with those guys playing the lead roles though, there were quite a few moments where Drew Kulick and Chase Wilson flashed their skills enough to spark excitement for their futures in Fort Collins. 

One game that stood out especially was the 17-0 win over New Mexico on Senior Day, when Wilson finished with a season-high seven total tackles, including two and a half sacks. Afterwards he was hyped up by Jackson for being the next great linebacker at CSU. 

What’s been great to see is since having that breakout performance, Wilson has not rested on his laurels. The 6-foot-1, 225-pound linebacker from Arvada, Colo. has really stood out over the last month, establishing himself as a key piece in CSU’s defense. In Saturday’s scrimmage, the redshirt sophomore even recorded an interception.

“Chase has had a really good spring,” Norvell said afterwards, explaining that the up-and-coming linebacker is extremely smart and really has an appetite for the game. 

“He’s super intense. We need that from the heart of our defense — just that appetite to hit and play aggressively,” Norvell said. “And he’s a super bright kid. So I’m really excited about him. 

“You know, I think we’re more athletic at linebacker than we were ago. And Chase, we’re gonna expect him to really carry a lot of that load.”

When asked how he has benefitted from getting more reps with the ones now that the old guard is no longer around, a humble Wilson smiled and said that he’s just grateful for it all. He expressed a deep appreciation for the time spent with Carter and Jackson over the last three years, and everything they did to help him mature. And while it is not something that he will ever take for granted, Wilson said that it’s a privilege to now be that guy that aims to set the standard for his position group. 

As far as how they have performed to this point, Wilson said that the bunch have really improved significantly over the course of the spring. According to him, the biggest key is just avoiding complacency. 

“There’s always things that we can get better at,” Wilson said. “We’ll continue to make improvements this last week of spring ball.” 

Including Wilson’s interception, CSU’s defense was able to force three turnovers during the scrimmage on Saturday. While we still have months to go until the team plays snaps that actually count for something, it’s encouraging to see the unit making progress in the areas the coaches are emphasizing. 

“Seeing that translate here today was big, and we just got to make sure that translates into the fall,” Wilson said. 

CSU will conclude its spring practice period with the annual Green & Gold Game on April 22. The event is slated to begin at 1:00 p.m. following the Grit Run on campus.