Big plays can speak for themselves, but defensive production is built over time.
As Colorado State football’s secondary came together last spring under a fresh set of eyes, there were some big expectations to adapt and improve. So far this season, Lemondre Joe and Jahari Rogers have come through in critical moments in a completely new scheme, and that all started with the help of defensive coordinator Tyson Summers and defensive backs coach Nigel Madison. While the linebacker corps and defensive front are also playing well to start the season, the ceiling for this defense looks higher than last year.
The pressure is certainly heavier than before.
CSU lost key athletes and leaders like Jack Howell and Henry Blackburn, leaving Mukendi Wa-Kalonji as the only returning starter in the secondary with real game snaps. That turnover, combined with an aggressive new scheme, forced the group to grow up quickly.
That growth has already been tested.
In the home opener against Northern Colorado, the Rams’ offense turned the ball over five times and struggled to find rhythm in the passing game. What should have been a comfortable win nearly turned into an upset, and the defense had to spend more time on the field protecting a slim margin.
Interestingly, head coach Jay Norvell praised the secondary after the opener against Washington, when the unit faced one of the most talented wide receiver corps they’ll face this season, led by 6-foot-4 Denzel Boston. But the UNC game showed how much more would be asked of this group throughout the year.
For Joe, during fall camp, the explanation behind CSU’s defensive progress was simple.
“It comes down to just communication,” Joe said. “Being where you’re supposed to be, at the right time — post snap, pre snap — which is communication, that’s the biggest thing. So when everybody communicates, we all are in the right spot. We can make plays and fly around.”
Communication is the defining characteristic of a group built from turnover, pressed into a tougher role because of the offense’s inconsistency and challenged daily at practice.
Madison said during camp that progress comes from sheer repetition. He pointed out how the defensive backs went from learning assignments to recognizing offensive tendencies before the ball is snapped.
“I think the good part about it is we found a way to get these guys a lot of reps at the same thing, over and over and over again,” Madison said. “And all it did was give them confidence. So now we’re teaching them more offense than we are defense at this point, because these guys are just out here. They already know what they’re supposed to do on defense. They don’t (have) to think about it. Now we’re teaching them what the offense is going to do, and then that’s what they’re out there talking about most of the time. So their communication is sharp, and it’s on point. And I kind of love it.”
That ability to “play fast,” as coaches call it, has already shown up on Saturdays. Joe leads the secondary with 11 tackles, three pass breakups, and 1.5 sacks, including the only quarterback hurry of the season so far. Rogers has posted an interception and two pass breakups along with six tackles.
Comparing last season’s first two games against Texas and UNC to this season’s against UW and UNC, CSU has only really improved in pass defense.
In 2024, CSU surrendered 355 passing yards, four touchdowns and an interception to the Longhorns and 191 passing yards and two touchdowns with no interceptions to the Bears.
So far in 2025, the Rams held Washington to a much better 226 yards and one touchdown and the Bears to 160 passing yards, zero touchdowns and an interception. While the longest passes against CSU this year — 29 and 39 — were both shorter than those last year — 40 and 50.
For Madison, that early success was rooted in mentality as much as technique.
“They handle adversity,” Madison said. “I mean, they go out there and they have to do it day in and day out, day in and day out. They know if I don’t come to work today, I give up a touchdown, that’s a hard feeling to have right now. So when they step out there on the field, they know, okay, I (have) got to get better. And then if I failed at a rep, OK, what do I have to do to fix it? … And I’m just proud of them and everything that they do.”
Joe echoed that same idea in his own words. He said Madison has been clear about what he expects, and the standard he set has pushed the defensive backs to play with an edge.
“When he first came in, coach, he set the standard,” Joe said. “And standard is just like, fly around, having chaos. Everything is chaotic, and we fly around. So that’s the standard. Everybody flies around, all 11 guys.”
That philosophy played out on the practice fields during fall camp.
CSU’s defense spent much of August facing an offense experimenting with new weapons and formations, including transfer athlete Tahj Bullock. Joe described him as a “gadget guy” who forced the defense to prepare for wrinkles they might not otherwise see.
“The word (for Tahj Bullock is) freaky,” Joe said. “They got a lot of things they can do with him. Adding him in there, he’s a gadget guy, so it’s a lot of things they can do with him, and a lot of big, explosive plays we can have with the man. Taysom Hill, but a lot more faster. And he got some IQ.”
That preparation has paid off in games in which CSU’s offense didn’t provide much margin for error. Against UNC, the defense had to flip momentum back after turnovers stalled drives often and forced it into bad field positions.
But Madison coached his guys into different situations with the help of an expanding CSU offense on the other side.
“You get a lot of different looks,” Nigel said. “You get to see a couple different things. It kind of shifts your position as a corner a little bit and as a whole defense. But I think for the whole part, it’s been awesome. The looks we’ve been getting in the run game, the looks we’ve been giving in the pass game, it’s only here to make us better. So, when we get into the season, it’s not going to be the kids’ first time seeing something like this. It gives them confidence to go play fast.”
Individual growth has been another storyline. Madison singled out younger players who have stepped into bigger roles.
“(AJ Noland), he’s a baller,” Nigel said. “He’s young; he goes out here; he competes every single day. (Dylan Phelps), right now, is constantly working on his craft and just working to get better. … And then Lemondre Joe is just like in love with his process right now. He comes here, and he works really hard through the spring, works really hard through the fall. And then now he hits fall camp, and he has it. He gets it, and he’s playing fast, and he’s not thinking no more. And now he’s just playing ball. I’m just proud to see their growth.”
The secondary will face greater tests than UNC, but the early message from both players and coaches is that communication, chaos and confidence define this year’s group. Even if the Rams’ offense continues to stall, Madison believes the defensive backs can carry their weight.
“As long as we keep taking the steps in the right direction, and we don’t go back, we’re going to be just fine,” Madison said.
Reach Michael Hovey at sports@collegian.com or on social media @michaelfhovey.
