Green & Gold Report | 2023

RAM READY

CSU defense prepared to lead team in ‘23

Chigozie Anusiem

Consistency is key IN year two

Norvel has CSU trending in the right direction

By Justin Michael

Jay Norvell has high hopes for what the Colorado State football program can be.

Coming over from the University of Nevada, where he was quite successful despite not having even close to the level of resources that are available to him in Fort Collins, Norvell felt that CSU was a sleeping giant. And with the proper management, CSU not only could be a winning team, it should be one.

“This place supports football. This place is committed to football. And this place wants to have a winning, championship program,”

Norvell said during his introductory press conference.

“I looked at this place very similar to Cincinnati and the top Group of 5 programs in the country. That’s the type of support we have here, and we have very high goals here. I embrace that.”

In Norvell’s first year on the job, there were quite a few speed bumps, including a mass exodus of veteran players in the month of September. After the new staff invested all of the spring practices and fall camp into these individuals, five starters and a handful of other players elected to quit

the team before we even got to the conference portion of the schedule.

Obviously, losing these players greatly impacted the overall depth of the roster. So much so, in fact, that the offensive coaches did not even have enough wide receivers to practice the proper way. Also factoring in the injuries at quarterback, and the brutal state of the offensive line, it’s impressive that the Rams managed to get more competitive as the season went on.

CSU started 0-4 and got out-scored 164-43 in the first month. Then, after losing a

bunch of guys to the transfer portal and having to play four different quarterbacks, the Rams found a way to go 3-5 over the final eight weeks. All things considered, it was an encouraging finish given the way things started, especially ending with a 17-0 shutout of New Mexico in the season finale.

Going into year two, the outlook is generally optimistic for the Green & Gold. While the Rams will not be projected to win the Mountain West in the preseason, with the amount of talent that CSU possesses on the defensive side of the

Jay Norvell

Photo Courtesy of CSU Athletic Communications

ball, if the offense takes a step up the Rams should have a good chance to return to the postseason for the first time since 2017.

The biggest key for offensive improvement will most definitely be improved play in the trenches. CSU allowed 59 sacks in 2022 and had a whole bunch more offensive plays that went for negative yardage. It was the biggest reason why the Rams really struggled to sustain drives. It was also why they never scored more than 19 points in a single game.

Fortunately, after revamping the unit through

the transfer portal, the hope is the o-line will be able to hold up much more consistently this time around. And while the results from spring ball usually have to be taken with a grain of salt, the group actually performed well in their first showing in a Rams uniform.

“I’ve just been very pleased all spring with our offensive line,” Norvell said after the Green & Gold Game. “I think we’ve improved there tremendously. We’ve got a core of guys that are really accountable, that work hard every day and that try to do the things we’ve been asking them to do.”

Norvell continued, emphasizing the way the Rams consistently ran the football effectively, even with a depleted backfield. He praised their play in pass protection as well. And as he explained, all of that begins up front.

Assuming what we have seen from the offensive line so far has not been a total fluke, redshirt sophomore quarterback Clay Millen is a year wiser and has a chance to build off of an encouraging freshman year in which he set the school record for season completion percentage (72.2). If he can just get consistent protection, the potential for a breakout season is certainly on the table.

We have already seen that Millen has the arm talent and decision-making skills to be a successful QB. The difference this time is Tory Horton won’t be the only pass catcher on the roster that went into the season listed as a starter.

Instead of true freshmen being thrust into the lineup prematurely, Millen will have the benefit of having developed chemistry with a multitude of wide receivers and tight ends —most of

which will have practiced and prepared with the ones throughout the spring, summer and fall camp.

In an interview on National Signing Day, Norvell talked about exactly this. He explained how having a group of skill players that have all been through an offseason in the program will be a significant advantage compared to the situation last fall. “That’s what gives me so much hope about the progress we think we can make this year,” he said to DNVR.

Along with the benefit of roster continuity, another reason why Norvell is optimistic about CSU’s potential in 2023 is that he was able to retain his entire staff. Multiple schools from bigger conferences made attempts to lure away defensive coordinator Freddie Banks and defensive line coach Buddha Williams. But just

Photo Courtesy of CSU Athletic Communications

Mohamed Kamara

was able to retain his most productive players from a season ago, Norvell was able to keep these “brilliant up-and-coming defensive coaches” in the building.

“Power five schools from the Pac-12 and the Big Ten went after them, and really offered to double their salaries,” Norvell said. “We were able to get them to stay because they love CSU, because they love our program, and we give them an opportunity to coach the way that they want to coach and continue to grow. I think that we’ve got great people on our staff and in our program. And I’m just so excited to keep us together, because I know if we can keep this staff together, keep these players together, we’re going to get better.”

While it may be too early to project a 12-2 season that ends with New Year’s Six Bowl victory over one of the country’s biggest brands in college football, one of the programs that Norvell feels CSU could replicate is Tulane. Coming off of a 2-10 season in 2021, the Green Wave completely flipped a switch in 2022 and won nine of their final 10 games, including the AAC title game over UCF and the Cotton Bowl over USC.

As Norvell sees things, having beaten Tulane soundly in the 2020 Idaho Potato Bowl, that’s a program that is comparable to one in the Mountain West. In order to drastically improve the way that the

Green Wave did though, the Rams must also be willing to go through the process of becoming a winning team.

That involves dedication and loyalty. That involves adding more talent to the mix. But most importantly, it involves being committed to the process of doing the right things. If they can do that, Norvell believes that just like Tulane this past fall, CSU can make a major leap competitively.

“That’s kind of our expectation for this year,” Norvell said. “We expect to win, we expect to compete against everybody we play against, and we expect to show great improvement.”

It’s still too early to get carried away with bold predictions for the 2023 season. Until we see how the offensive line handles

live game reps, projecting this team’s ceiling is going to be a tough call. However, having said that, while we still have much to learn about the Rams in year two of the Norvell era, it is clear that the state of the locker room is much healthier than it was at this time last year.

That’s not to say that the job is done — that will be determined by the results in the win/loss column. But when it comes to that process of becoming a winning team, Norvell can see the buy-in from the guys in the locker room. The players see the vision and they’re doing what they can to make it come to fruition. The next step is turning that buy-in into genuine belief. The belief that on any given Saturday, the Rams are going to come out on top.

“Once you trust one another, you’ve committed to the process, you believe you should win,” Norvell said. “I think we’re in the middle of that right now. We’re getting to that point where guys are starting to trust and believe in each other. The commitment level has risen. And the last part is when you walk into someone’s stadium, you believe you’re supposed to win. And then you start to do that consistently.”

It’s been a long decadeplus for the CSU faithful, but for the first time in years, the program is seemingly trending in the right direction. We’ll see if the Rams can finally break through the glass ceiling that’s seemingly held them back since Jim McElwain left for Florida in 2014.

Photo Courtesy of CSU Athletic Communications

Justus Ross-Simmons

2023

Sept. 2 (Sat) Washington State Fort Collins, CO

Sept. 16 (Sat) Colorado Boulder, CO

Sept. 23 (Sat) Middle Tennessee Murfreesboro, TN

Sept. 30 (Sat) Utah Tech Fort Collins, CO

Oct. 7 (Sat) Utah State Logan, UT

Oct. 14 (Sat) Boise State Fort Collins, CO

Oct. 21 (Sat) UNLV Las Vegas, NV

Oct. 28 (Sat) Air Force Fort Collins, CO

Nov. 3 (Fri) Wyoming Laramie, WY

Nov. 11 (Sat) San Diego State Fort Collins, CO

Nov. 18 (Sat) Nevada Fort Collins, CO

Nov. 25 (Sat) Hawaii Manoa, HI

Take it to the next level

Defense has a safety net

By Justin Michael

Teams that run the ‘Air Raid’ are typically known for the points that they put on the board and not the ones they prevent. In year two under defensive coordinator Freddie Banks though, the Rams have a chance to be quite dangerous on that side of the ball.

With Mohamed Kamara returning for a fifth year, CSU has arguably the best pass rusher in the Mountain West. The 6-foot-1, 250-pound edge has 16 sacks and 25.5 tackles for loss over the past two seasons.

Cornerback Chigozie

Anusiem coming back was a big win for the Rams as well. The Cal transfer led the team with nine pass breakups in 2022, and he’s one of the better cover corners that the Rams have had in quite some time.

As big as it was for ‘Mo’

and ‘Chiggy’ to return — Jay Norvell even referred to them as his biggest recruiting priorities last winter — the continuity of the safeties is quietly one of the greatest strengths of the team.

The trio of Jack Howell, Henry Blackburn and Ayden Hector have developed tremendous chemistry together. And the group collectively found ways to be extremely impactful last year despite CSU’s losing record.

Howell, who has been a play-maker since the very first time he took the field, has racked up 172 total tackles, 11 pass deflections and four interceptions over his last 22 games. He has even higher expectations for his junior year though.

Following the spring game, Howell explained that after getting a feel for his new role last year,

his plan was to really learn as much as he can about the entire defense as a whole. He talked about being more aware of the way linebackers fit into the scheme and how it has allowed him to communicate more effectively with his fellow members of the secondary.

Speaking of his running mates in the back end, Blackburn is coming off of his most productive season at CSU. His 30 solo tackles and 53 total were both career-highs. As were his nine pass deflections and three turnovers forced. He even recorded the first sack of his career.

Meanwhile, the third member of the group, Hector proved to be a perfect fit at nickel. The former Washington State starter originally joined the squad as

a walk-on, but very quickly showed why he was worth putting on scholarship after one semester. The 6-foot, 210-pound defensive back had 41 total tackles, 10 pass breakups and three interceptions in just 10 games. His pick-six in Norvell’s first return to Nevada ended up being one of the biggest plays of the season as well.

With all of these guys still in the mix, the hope is that CSU can build off of the defensive success they had down the stretch of the 2022 season and take it to the next level in 2023. Against league opponents last season, the Rams allowed 11 fewer points per game than they did in 2021. The goal this time around is not just to be one of the better defenses in the league, the Rams aim to be number one.

Henry Blackburn

Photo Courtesy of CSU Athletic Communications

Looking for that ‘x-factor’

By Justin Michael

Colorado state’s offense never quite took flight in year one of the Jay Norvell era.

There were many reasons why the ‘air raid’ was largely grounded in 2022, including, a unit that averaged just 13 points per contest and failed to score 20 points in a single game.

Injuries and mid-season departures certainly impacted the overall depth of the group. It’s tough to consistently produce when the offensive line is constantly being reshuffled out of necessity. And any time that four quarterbacks see the field in a single season, that’s pretty much all you need to know.

Entering the 2023 campaign, the hope is that with a more experienced Clay Millen (qb) playing behind a revamped group in the trenches, the offense as a whole will be able to function more effectively —

particularly with a deeper group of wide receivers at his disposal.

While improved play out wide, as well as in the trenches will be key for the Rams this season, the ‘x-factor’ for the offense might actually be the tight ends. As Norvell has explained on multiple occasions, the Rams aim to be an explosive unit that can frequently stretch the field. However, in order to do that, it can’t just be vertical routes down the sidelines. CSU has to be able to attack the middle of the field too.

In 2022, CSU tight ends combined to produce just 21 receptions and one touchdown, which was not nearly enough to make an impact. Opposing defenses were basically able to ignore an entire section of the field and shadow Tory Horton over the top with a second defensive back on

Tight ends could be key to offensive success

every snap. Although he still managed to produce 1,131 yards and eight touchdowns, deep shots were basically the only way that the Rams were able to sustain drives or produce points.

Knowing that the squad needs more production in the middle of the field, Norvell and his staff signed three tight ends in the 2023 recruiting cycle, including a pair of transfers. Of the group, Norvell has referred to the trio as the best class of tight ends he’s signed.

Highlighting the newcomers is Dallin Holker, a BYU transfer that consistently stood out throughout the spring. Listed at 6-foot-5, 240 pounds, Holker has the size and strength to be impactful as a blocker. He really shines as a pass catcher though, as he has soft hands and deceptive body control.

“He’s an accomplished receiver,” Norvell says of

Holker. “I think he’ll give us a play-maker down the middle to really complement our wide receivers.

Along with Holker, the Rams also signed Vincent Brown, a 6-foot7, 215-pound red zone threat out of the college of Dupage, who Norvell describes as very similar to Washington Commanders tight end Cole Turner. True freshman Mason Muaau will be joining the mix too. Finally, Jordan Williams returns for his sophomore year after flashing his talent near the end of last season.

With a revamped tight end room, the hope is that the green & gold will resemble the explosive offenses produced by Norvell during his Nevada tenure. They didn’t have the right personnel to do so in 2022, but now that the longtime football coach has his guys, look for the offense to break through in 2023.

Dallin Holker

Photo Courtesy of CSU Athletic Communications

2023 COLORADO STATE FOOTBALL ROSTER

2023 COACHING STAFF / SUPPORT STAFF

Jay Norvell HEAD COACH

Matt Mumme ASSOCIATE HEAD COACH — QUARTERBACKS

Freddie Banks DEFENSIVE COORDINATOR — DEFENSIVE BACKS

Bill Best ASSISTANT COACH — OFFENSIVE LINE

James Finley ASSISTANT COACH — TIGHT ENDS

Jeremy Moses ASSISTANT COACH — RUNNING BACKS

Marcus Patton ASSISTANT COACH — CORNERBACKS

Tommy Perry ASSISTANT COACH — SPECIAL TEAMS COORDINATOR

Adam Pilapil ASSISTANT COACH — LINEBACKERS

Chad Savage ASSISTANT COACH — WIDE RECEIVERS/ RECRUITING COORDINATOR

Buddha Williams ASSISTANT COACH — DEFENSIVE LINE

Tim Cassidy

Jordon Simmons ASSISTANT HEAD COACH - HEAD STRENGTH AND CONDITIONING COACH

Brad Aoki GRADUATE ASSISTANT — OFFENSE

Kaden Beavers GRADUATE ASSISTANT — DEFENSE

Nick Bergstrom ASSOCIATE HEAD EQUIPMENT MANAGER, FOOTBALL

Colton Bosnos DIRECTOR OF FOOTBALL OPERATIONS

Mikael Bradford DEFENSIVE INTERN

Rafal Ciepiela ATHLETIC TRAINER (FB)

Jeremy Copeland DIRECTOR OF PLAYER DEVELOPMENT

Brett Cumnock ASSISTANT DIRECTOR OF PLAYER PERSONNEL

Tyler Gilliam ANALYST — SPECIAL TEAMS

Bria Griffin DIRECTOR OF ON-CAMPUS RECRUITING

Matt Helton

Dan Hislop ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR OF STRENGTH AND SPEED

Adam Hodge DIRECTOR OF VIDEO OPERATIONS

Chase Holbrook ANALYST — OFFENSE

Greg Jensen HEAD FOOTBALL ATHLETIC TRAINER

Lee Land ASSOCIATE FOOTBALL ATHLETIC TRAINER

Zack Lanningham ASSISTANT VIDEO COORDINATOR

Chris Monfiletto INTERN — OFFENSE

Hope Nepstad ASSISTANT DIRECTOR OF STRENGTH AND SPEED

Nash O’Fallon DIRECTOR OF PLAYER PERSONNEL

Shannon O’Hair HEAD EQUIPMENT MANAGER, FOOTBALL

Josh Raykin RECRUITING ASSISTANT

Melissa Haisch ATHLETIC TRAINER (FB, WTN)

Bryson Travasos GRADUATE ASSISTANT — DEFENSE

Griffin Vander Waerdt

YOURAdventure BEGINS HERE

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CSU VOLLEYball ROSTER 2023

Rams Volleyball Coaching Staff

The Kohan era begins

By Justin Michael

New head coach inherits talented roster

It’s a new day for the Colorado State volleyball program.

After 26 seasons as head coach for the Rams, the legendary Tom Hilbert called it a career. Now running the show is his longtime assistant coach, Emily Kohan.

“It is truly a dream opportunity to represent Colorado State as the next head volleyball coach for this storied program,” Kohan said via press release.

Hired as an assistant in 2016, before being elevated to associate head coach in 2019, for the last seven years Kohan got to work alongside one of the greatest coaches in the history of Division 1 volleyball.

During that time the Rams reached the

postseason five times and won the Mountain West four times, so she’s no stranger to success. However, with the 12-time Mountain West Coach of the Year no longer in the picture, the pressure is now squarely on Kohan to continue CSU’s proud winning tradition.

While Kohan obviously has massive shoes to fill — anyone would in her position — the encouraging thing is that she inherits a roster that should be able to compete immediately.

The Rams did lose Ciera Pritchard, a 30-match starter at setter and 2023 all-conference selection.

Pritchard led the team in assists (1,044) and service aces (33) last season. She was second in digs (217) and fifth in blocks as well

Annie Sullivan

Photos Courtesy of CSU Athletic Communications

Head Coach Emily Kohan

(52), so she really was a major contributor. The bright side though is that as big of a loss as Pritchard is, CSU seemingly found her replacement via the transfer portal in Emery Herman.

Herman started all 31 matches at setter for Arizona last season and performed extremely well in the role. She led the team in assists with 1,068. And much like Pritchard, she was impactful in a multitude of ways. Along with the assists, she had 313 digs, 88 blocks and 30 service aces. CSU supporters hope to see her replicate the production she had during her three years with the Wildcats now that she is a Ram.

“She is an extremely talented setter, and tenacious defender, who has a great work ethic and leadership skills,” Kohan said of Herman when CSU announced her signing. “Her experience of starting in the Pac-12 for the past three seasons is a valuable addition to our group.”

As far as other key transfers go, Anna Porter, a libero/defensive specialist comes over from William and Mary. She was one of three players on the roster to play all 102 sets for the Griffins this past season. She was named second-team All-CAA after finishing with 455 digs and returned serves at 96 percent clip. She too, should be a major asset for Kohan in her first year as head coach.

“Anna fit in so well with our team and culture from the second we began this process with her,” Kohan said.

“Her experience in the back court will impact our team immediately. She’s a hard worker and feisty competitor, exactly what we like to see in our Ram players.”

Emery Herman and Anna Porter join a roster that includes outside hitter Kennedy Stanford and middle blocker Naeemah Weathers, both of which received allconference recognition this past season. Stanford led the Rams in kills (354) and finished second in service aces (31). Weathers, on the other hand, was second in blocks (69) and fourth in kills (156). Both coming back is a major win for the Green & Gold, particularly with the talent Kohan brought in through the portal.

CSU will also benefit from the return of outside hitter Annie Sullivan, who had the second-most kills and thirdmost blocks, finishing with 275 and 63, respectively. Defensive specialist Ruby Kayser is still in the mix too after playing in 29 matches last season and finishing

with the third-most service aces (28).

The other key returners for the Rams are middle blocker Karina Leber and defensive specialist Kate Yoshomoto. The former led the team in blocks (111) and finished third in kills (245), while the latter led the Rams in digs (352). Finally, middle blocker Malaya Jones returns as a redshirt junior after recording the fourth-most kills in the 2022-23 campaign (238).

All of this is to say that the cupboard is far from bare. So while expectations will have to be realistic early on — Kohan deserves time to get her feet underneath her as a head coach — with the amount of talent on this team, it does seem realistic for the Rams to once again be in contention for the Mountain West Championship. Going back to 1999 when the conference was founded, CSU has won outright or split the regular season title 17 times. It’s a level of success that outside of track & field is

unprecedented by any other sport on campus.

We’ll see how long it takes Kohan to adjust to her new role on the sidelines. It’s one thing to be the associate head coach and another to be the person making every major decision during the heat of the moment. Considering she has been projected to be Hilbert’s successor for a few years now though, Ram fans should feel confident that Kohan is the right person for the job.

Hilbert built this program from the ground up and established a winning tradition that means a great deal to the local community. He was always going to ensure that the team ended up in the right hands when he was done. And as weird it will be to see anyone other than Hilbert leading the way, it’s exciting to see the program taken over by someone that has not only earned the opportunity, but also truly understands what makes CSU volleyball unique.

The ball is in Kohan’s court now. Game on.

Karina Leber

Photo Courtesy of CSU Athletic Communications

AFTER THE GAME

Football Recruiting

Colorado’s Top 12 Instate Recruits — Class of 2024