As Colorado State heads into its last year in the Mountain West conference, athletics looks to replicate one of their most successful years in recent memory. In 2024-25, the Rams ended the year with multiple conference championships, NCAA tournament bids and a national shot put championship from Mya Lesnar.

With all of the success, many Ram greats have either now graduated, transferred or started their next chapters on the professional scene. 

CSU football has historically struggled. However, last year’s team found new success, making it to their first bowl game since 2017; unfortunately, their Snoop Dogg Arizona Bowl appearance ended with a 43-17 loss to Miami University.

While the year ended in disappointing fashion, Jay Norvell brought back excitement for CSU football in just his second season as head coach. This year, he has his work cut out, as the team will be without stars Tory Horton, Jacob Gardner and Dom Jones after all taking their talents to the NFL. 

When someone leaves, it’s always about who’s next. It’s crucial for the emerging, young talent to not only to take next steps for the team but to make their mark at CSU. 

So — who’s ready to leave their mark?

Brayden Fowler-Nicolosi

Brayden Fowler-Nicolosi ended last year with an underwhelming 2,796 yards while throwing 14 touchdowns and nine interceptions. After a lackluster sophomore passing season, he sets his sights high with a new receiving corps. 

As the Rams inch closer to joining the Pac-12 and with a highly anticipated season quickly approaching, many fans have questioned whether Fowler-Nicolosi should be the starter come week one, but Norvell will continue to stick with who he sees as his guy. 

While the MW has gained significant traction and attention, the Pac-12 was one of the top athletic conferences in the nation a short two years ago. Switching to the Pac-12 will bring both the Rams and Fowler-Nicolosi more national attention, so the question many may be asking is: Does Brayden Fowler-Nicolosi have what it takes to push the Rams toward the top in this new era of CSU football?

The quarterback is a premier position and deemed one that can either make or break a team’s season. The way Fowler-Nicolosi plays could be a deciding factor of the team’s direction and ultimately be the team’s X factor. 

Only time will tell.

Even with Rams’ football having an exciting and successful season, it was men’s basketball that drew the attention of many. Although, things look considerably different, as this upcoming team will be without many of their crucial players, leading to the potential emergence of a brand new face.

Josh Pascarelli

After winning its first MW tournament championship since 2003, the Rams look to defend their title. However, this year’s team will be without notable players Nique Clifford, Kyan Evans, Jaylen Crocker-Johnson and more. Losing a big part of a roster is never easy; even more so, it was the loss of legendary Rams coach Nico Medved that left fans in shock. 

Luckily, they reloaded with a successful transfer portal, adding an immense amount of young and hungry talent. Meet a player that has heads turning: Josh Pascarelli.

After spending his first two seasons with the Marist Red Foxes, Pascarelli announced his plans with his transfer commitment to the Rams in the spring. Last season, the Red Foxes ended with a final record of 20-10, in which Pascarelli averaged a team-leading 15.9 points per game, shooting 44.8% overall and 39.3% from behind the arc. 

Pascarelli joins a Rams team full of opportunity, with the hopes of making an instant impact on a young and rather inexperienced roster. With the Pac-12 era on the horizon, CSU aims to end their MW era with back-to-back tournament titles.

Hannah Ronsiek 

Even with a disappointing and heartbreaking MW quarterfinals 54-52 upset loss, it was the Ronsiek twins who caught the hearts of Ram fans, as the twins averaged 26.8 points of the team’s 68.5 points per game. 

Last year was the year of the twins, with Rams’ superstar Emma Ronsiek leading the way, averaging a team-leading 17.7 points per game while also grabbing six rebounds per game. Hannah Ronsiek ended the season averaging 9.1 points per game and 5.9 rebounds per game. 

However, this season will look completely different, as Hannah Ronsiek is poised to take the reins, with both leading scorers in Emma Ronsiek and Hannah Simental no longer being on the roster after their final seasons of NCAA eligibility.

Maria Brun

After a season that also ended with a MW conference championship, the volleyball team looks to defend their throne. However, it’ll also look considerably different. The Rams’ 2024 roster was loaded top to bottom with talent and experience, yet this year’s team finds themselves in a rather tricky situation. While this year’s team is full of talent, the roster is ultimately full of young and unproven players.

Maria Brun is no stranger to the bright lights.

After spending her freshman year behind Malaya Jones, Kennedy Stanford and Naeemah Weathers, Brun is ready to take the next step as she enters a crucial sophomore season. Even behind notable veterans, Brun still found significant time on the court that ended in great success. The Barcelona, Spain-born outside hitter concluded the season with 156 kills — the fifth most on the team.

For a true freshman, ending with 156 kills was already impressive, but Brun will be stepping into a much larger role this season and will have greater opportunities to make up for the 567-kill void left in Jones’ absence. In her freshman season, Brun predominantly saw the court as an outside hitter. However, in spring scrimmages, she not only echoed her willingness to play out of position but also her desire to play in scenarios she’s not used to seeing. 

Even with the major storyline being the Ram’s last season in the MW, the team continues to push forward toward greatness with the hopes of winning the conference, making it to the NCAA tournament and, ultimately, to make noise. Regardless of where the players may find themselves, Brun is in a position to play a crucial role in this team’s overall success.

Justin Marshall

With longtime player Avery Morrow leaving the team for a minicamp invite with the New York Giants, the Rams will focus on the next man up: Justin Marshall. Marshall ended his impressive redshirt freshman season with 746 yards and four touchdowns on 154 carries, ultimately earning him CSU’s second team-leading rusher. 

Marshall seeks to make even greater strides this season, yet this year will look notably different, as it’s possible for him to earn No. 1 duties for a run-heavy Norvell offense, leading many to believe Marshall is in line to have a breakout year.

Marshall aims to start the season off right, as the Rams will open up their 2025 season against Washington. According to the NCAA, in the 2024-25 season, the Huskies ranked No. 87 out of 133 FBS teams when it came to rushing defense, allowing opponents an average of 161.8 yards rushing per game.

On the other side of the ball, the Rams ended the season with the No. 53 rushing offense, averaging 168.2 yards rushing per game. Yet, this is an entirely new season with new players for both programs, but nonetheless something to keep in mind as both teams go into highly anticipated seasons with championship aspirations. 

Reach John Vu at sports@collegian.com or on social media @john_vu10.