It’s time to get down to business—football season is back.
With fall camp officially kicking off this week, the doldrums of summer are finally nearing a conclusion. So, let’s take a look at the three biggest questions for the Colorado State Rams as the team prepares for the regular season.
Who will be the starting five in the trenches?
The line is undoubtedly the biggest question mark on the offensive side of the football. And considering the starting quarterback has already torn his ACL twice in his collegiate career, this is pretty concerning.
As it currently stands, it’s tough to even project a starting five. Barry Wesley (redshirt sophomore) seems like a logical option for starting guard, though. In 2018, Wesley played the first seven games at left tackle, before sliding inside for the final five. Widely praised for his effort in practice, the former walk-on is extremely popular amongst the coaches, so it would be surprising if Wesley doesn’t earn a starting spot this season.
Along with Wesley, Jeff Taylor will presumably be the other starting guard. Taylor played in all 12 games in 2018, making 11 starts. Of his 11 starts, 10 were at right guard and one was at left. Now entering his senior season, Taylor needs to step up and help anchor the interior.
At the center position, the Rams will have to replace Colby Meeks. Meeks started all 12 games last season, after primarily playing guard in his first three seasons in the program. Honestly, this position seems to be up for the taking. It wouldn’t be surprising if the Rams end up sliding someone more experienced in the middle—for example, Barry Wesley.
Finally, on the outside, T.J. Storment will compete for a starting tackle position. Storment, a redshirt junior, transferred to CSU from Fullerton College and was here in the spring. Listed at 6-foot-7, 320 pounds, Storment certainly has the ideal size for a starting tackle. Whether he has the skill or not is to be seen.
The other tackle position may also be up for grabs, but Keith Williams, formerly of Independence C.C., may end up being the guy. Williams only played in two games in a reserve role last season, but his experience in the system helps. It will be interesting to see what Williams does this fall.
Who steps up as the leaders on defense?
CSU lost its two leading tacklers and most experienced defensive back from last season. Josh Watson is now competing for a roster on the Denver Broncos, Tre Thomas is working with the Indianapolis Colts and Jordan Fogal graduated as well.
Though, there is a reason for optimism when it comes to this unit—the defensive line has depth and the secondary has a lot of speed—we don’t know who will end up being the heart and soul of the defense.
Sophomore cornerback Rashad Ajayi surely has enough confidence to be the vocal leader of the secondary. But, being confident in his abilities doesn’t necessarily mean he’ll be the type of player that holds others accountable.
Senior safety Jamal Hicks is another logical option to guide the secondary as he’s the most experienced player returning on defense. In 2018, Hicks was third on the team with 93 total tackles. The hard-hitting defensive back had four different games with double-digit figures, including a career-high 15 tackles against Air Force.
In the front seven, maybe someone like Tron Folsom can become the leader. Folsom was named second-team All-Sun Belt after leading Troy with 79 tackles as a junior in 2018. In the Trojans’ upset victory of Nebraska, Folsom led the team with 13 tackles, a tackle for loss and pass breakup. The Rams will be hoping to get the same kind of production out of Folsom this fall.
Is Collin Hill 100 percent?
The million-dollar question this season will be can Collin Hill stay on the field? When healthy, Hill looked like a legitimate NFL prospect, especially in 2016. Since his debut as a freshman, though, Hill has had to battle back from two different ACL injuries. And in 2018, Hill never got the chance to line up behind a competent offensive line.
With two seasons of eligibility remaining, Hill can still rectify his collegiate career. As Ram fans saw in 2014 with Garrett Grayson, elite quarterbacks can turn things around quickly, when surrounded by the right talent. Unfortunately, it’s just too early to determine if CSU has the players to get it done.
Hill received high praise for his efforts at the Manning Passing Academy over the summer. But this isn’t a one-man sport—so if the big uglies can’t give Hill a clean pocket—the chances of the veteran QB succeeding are slim to none, even with a good group of receivers.
However, if CSU can protect Hill, the South Carolina-born gunslinger may just prove to be one the best NFL prospects in the Mountain West. At the very least, Hill is talented enough to lead this team to a bowl game.
The road to the postseason begins with fall camp, though. It’s the little things that can be the difference between winning and losing. And after a 3-9 campaign, this team needs to get back to basics.
