It’s that new pads feeling.
The Colorado State football team got their first glimpse of full-contact action on Wednesday. After a solid first week of training camp, the offense and defense went at it in an eerily empty Canvas Stadium. The unmistakable sound of players grunting and colliding reverberated through the arena.
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Several veterans were held out of the first scrimmage, which meant more opportunity for the younger athletes. With starters being matched up against backups, it’s hard to tell which side of the ball showed up more at the end of the day.
The defense obviously had one thing on their mind: full contact hits. Initial tackles were quickly followed by a swarm of defenders throughout the entire day. The excitement and effort were echoed by veteran defensive lineman Cam Bariteau.
“I’ve seen everybody show effort and run to the ball,” Bariteau said. “That’s what we’ve really been harping on: finishing, just high energy.”
The best defensive play of the day came from a forced fumble by defensive lineman Kenyon Agurs, which was returned for a touchdown by linebacker Niko Lopez. The coverage in the secondary was generally solid except on an incredible deep touchdown pass from freshman Darius Curry. The young signal caller has seen limited reps so far, but coach Jay Norvell sees stirring potential in him.
“He’s a playmaker,” Norvell said. “He’s very eager; he’s got a great spirit about him, so we’re excited about him.
Quarterback Brayden Fowler-Nicolosi was among the veterans held out of the first scrimmage, unsurprisingly. The talented field general will take up the No. 1 role closer to the start of the season. In Nicolosi’s stead, redshirt freshman Jackson Brousseau has taken the majority of camp snaps.
“He’s mature beyond his years,” Norvell said. “JB has gotten all the reps, and we may be in a position where he’ll have to play, so it’s good he gets experience.”
CSU’s offense has shown up looking big, physical and more experienced than last season. Tight end Vince Brown II has shown improvements in his physicality as someone who’s mainly a pass catcher. Brown displayed his strength on a catch-and-run touchdown that resulted in a big hit and flattened defender.
“The biggest transition when I first got here was being physical,” Brown said. “Being an absolute tight end first and a receiver later.”
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The starting tight end position is up for grabs after the departure of Dallin Holker, which leaves several players fighting for it. Tight end Jaxxon Warren — who stands at a looming 6 feet, 8 inches — is also working on his application for the starting spot.
“Vince did a tremendous job, and then Jaxxon has just had a really good camp as well,” Norvell said. “Those guys are competing hard — they’re big, athletic guys.”
One other skill group with a big question mark is the running back room. Fortunately, this isn’t for lack of talent, but rather a plethora of competent options. Running backs Avery Morrow and Kobe Johnson have the most experience of the bunch, but others like Justin Marshall and Damian Henderson II have also impressed so far.
“Overall, it’s a much stronger position than we’ve had; we have a lot more speed than we’ve had,” Norvell said. “I was anxious to watch those guys run, and they did a fine job. I was proud of them.”
With the training camp jitters squashed, it’s time for depth charts to be sorted and spots to be won. It’s too early to tell what exactly the team will feature coming into week one, but things are looking up as of now.
The Rams have until Aug. 31 to work out the kinks in this year’s crew. Wednesday’s simulated, full-contact action remains of utmost importance as the regular season kicks off against the formidable Texas in Austin.
“I like our team,” Norvell said. “We’re getting better every day. We have a great attitude. We’re looking to reach our potential, which is exciting.”
Reach Michael Hovey at sports@collegian.com or on Twitter @michaelfhovey.
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