Spring Ball Preview: Who needs to stand out on offense

FORT COLLINS, Colo. — What’s better than this?

With Colorado State football beginning spring practices this weekend, the Steve Addazio era is officially upon us.

Starting February 29, the Rams will hold 15 total sessions over the next five weeks, culminating with the annual Green and Gold Game on Thurs., April 9.

Obviously we still have months of prep before CSU will host Colorado in September — the entire roster isn’t even on campus yet and the Rams will have a fall camp before the regular season.

But with the players still getting familiar with the new staff, spring ball will be just a little bit more important this time around, particularly for someone like Patrick O’Brien.

Entering his redshirt senior season, O’Brien is the logical frontrunner to be the starting quarterback. The Nebraska transfer led the Rams to a 3-6 record in his nine starts last year, which isn’t necessarily all that impressive.

Considering the circumstances, though, O’Brien definitely showed enough to be considered a capable starting quarterback.

As Mike Bobo pointed out, in the early stages, O’Brien didn’t really look like a guy that prepared like a ‘QB1′. It’s not that he looked awful. It’s just that when O’Brien originally took over for an injured Collin Hill, it was clear that he wasn’t as comfortable running the offense — and that got exposed in the losses to San Diego State and Utah State.

However, as the season progressed, O’Brien definitely settled into a groove — particularly when he led the Rams to a three-game winning streak, including a pair of victories away from Canvas Field.

In total, the big-armed gunslinger completed 62 percent of his pass attempts last fall (209-of-338). O’Brien averaged roughly 311 passing yards per start and finished the 2019 campaign with nearly twice as many touchdowns as interceptions (13 TD, 7 INT).

The question will be whether or not O’Brien’s established chemistry with the receiving corps will be enough to give him an advantage over Todd Centeio, who will be on campus starting in May.

Centeio, a 6-foot-1, 210-pound, dual-threat transfer from Temple, will not have the advantage of suiting up with the Rams this spring. Even so, Centeio already has more game experience than O’Brien had prior to his transfer.

More importantly, Centeio vs. O’Brien could be a closer competition because the Rams will be in a different system under offensive coordinator Joey Lynch. Just like his counterparts in the QB room, O’Brien has to learn new plays, new sets, and a different vocabulary, which could at least make the battle more intriguing.

I still anticipate that being in FoCo all semester will give No. 12 an advantage going in. Even if Centeio is working through the playbook independently, which I assume he is, it’s tough to replicate what a player gets out of being on campus. O’Brien gets to continue building relationships with everyone in the program every single day and watch film in person with coaches and staffers.

Until Addazio officially names someone his starter, though, the Ram faithful will certainly keep close watch on the situation.

Along with the quarterback position, the offensive line is definitely a group worth paying attention to over the next five months.

After losing T.J. Storment to TCU and Nouredin Nouili to Nebraska, the starting five was always going to look a little different in 2020. But things got even more interesting when Addazio went out and signed six offensive linemen in his inaugural class, including Boston College transfer Cam Reddy.

At this point, it’s way too early to forecast what the trenches are going to look like on game day. That said, Addazio has always been known for his ability to develop linemen. And he definitely will not be content with any sort of mediocrity from the big boys.

Finally, we have the skill players. Arguably CSU’s greatest asset as a unit, the Rams will return the league’s best wide receiver (Warren Jackson) and tight end (Trey McBride). Dante Wright should be in for big things in year two as well.

For me, personally, it’s going to be fun to see who ends up earning playing time alongside Jackson, McBride and Wright.

Cam Butler is an excellent blocking tight end and has flashed as a receiver over the last three years — maybe he’s poised for a breakout senior season. With how hard Butler works, it definitely would not be surprising if he won over the new staff, especially with Addazio wanting to run the football better.

E.J. Scott (redshirt junior) and Jadon Walker (redshirt junior) are more examples of players that could really stand to ball out this spring. Both showed potential early in their respective careers but for one reason or another, neither has managed to make much of an impact.

With Auburn transfer, Nate Craig-Myers returning for the final year of eligibility and young wideouts like Ty McCullough (sophomore), Jeremiah Pruitte (redshirt freshman), Jaylen Hearst (redshirt freshman) and A’Jon Vivens (redshirt sophomore) all in the mix, the competition out wide will definitely be tight.

In the end, spring ball may not be where starting positions are definitively won. As we addressed at the beginning, the preseason process is really only just beginning. With all of the change that’s occurred in the program, though, there is no doubt that the next month and a half will be incredibly valuable for the Rams’ potential moving forward.

Buckle up, dudes. Football is coming.