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CSU football players pursue professional dreams as NFL Draft approaches

Devin Imsirpasic, Staff Reporter
April 21, 2026
Collegian | Connor Roche
Former Colorado State University wide receiver Tay Lanier rounds the final cone during the 3-cone drill at the CSU Pro Day in Canvas Stadium March 10.

The 2026 National Football League Draft is where dreams become reality for many college athletes.

The first round of the NFL Draft kicks off April 23, with the remaining six rounds continuing April 24-25.

Colorado State football has had recent success in the event. In the 2025 NFL Draft, the Rams most notably saw wide receiver Tory Horton selected in the fifth round with the 166th overall pick by the Seattle Seahawks. He went on to win a Super Bowl with the team during his rookie season.

Alternatively, offensive lineman Drew Moss and cornerback Dom Jones went undrafted but signed with teams after the draft. Moss signed a deal with the San Francisco 49ers and Jones with the Cleveland Browns. Both saw playing time in the 2025 NFL season.

Despite a rough 2-10 season in 2025 for the Rams, the team has multiple seniors who competed in the school’s Pro Day and are entering their names into the draft. These players hope to hear their names called in one of the seven rounds or get a chance with a team via an undrafted rookie contract or a rookie minicamp invite.

Here are some of the main players who participated in Pro Day and will look to be drafted in the coming week.

Two football players in orange jerseys cheer each other on.
Colorado State University linebackers Owen Long (40) and Jacob Ellis (44) celebrate a play with their teammates during the Rams’ game against the University of Northern Colorado Sept. 6, 2025. CSU won 21-17. (Collegian | Cait Mckinzie)

Jacob Ellis, LB, 6-foot-0, 225 pounds

Jacob Ellis wrapped up his collegiate career with a nice five-year stretch, including winning NJCAA Defensive Player of the Year in 2021 during his time at Iowa Western, followed by three years at Iowa State before finishing his fifth year with the Rams as a captain.

Unfortunately, Ellis was one of many players who missed action due to injury, but the pass-rushing linebacker was able to play in 10 total games for CSU.

By the end of the season, he finished with 41 total tackles, two tackles for loss and a forced fumble.

Colorado State University football defensive back Lemondre Joe (7) holds back University of Wyoming wide receiver Jackson Holman (9) during a play Oct. 25, 2025. Joe finished out the game with nine total tackles. (Collegian | Cait Mckinzie)

Lemondre Joe, DB, 5-foot-10, 180 pounds

Another secondary player for CSU, defensive back Lemondre Joe finished up his fifth and final year of college football with the Rams following four seasons at Missouri State, participating in CSU’s Pro Day.

Joe played in all 12 games for CSU, recording 56 total tackles while leading the team in sacks with 3. He held opposing quarterbacks to a 49% catch rate throughout the year, which was the seventh least among cornerbacks in the Mountain West Conference.

Joe showcased his adaptability to any spot on the field throughout the 2025 season, and his ability to blitz off the edge and not miss tackles may entice a team to take a chance on him.

Colorado State University football wide receiver Tay Lanier (6) catches the first touchdown of the game during CSU’s last game of the season against Air Force Academy Nov. 28, 2025. (Collegian | Ava Puglisi)

Tay Lanier, WR, 6-foot-2, 195 pounds

Among a team decimated by injury, Lanier was one of the rare players to see action in all 12 games of the season, in which he was a key part of a balanced Ram passing attack.

Lanier played mainly as an outside receiver throughout the year, leading the team with 35 receptions. He also tacked on 315 receiving yards and two touchdowns.

Lanier had a season-high nine receptions for 73 yards and scored a touchdown against Air Force late in the season. He is seen as the best skill player for the Rams’ 2026 draft class with his ability to stretch the field and big-play upside.

Lanier formally declared for the draft via Instagram Dec. 10, 2025, and also met with the Green Bay Packers at CSU’s Pro Day.

A man wearing black compression shorts and a grey compression shirt reaches his hands in front of him to catch a ball.
Former Colorado State University defensive back Ayden Hector reaches to catch a ball over his shoulder during drills at the CSU Pro Day in Canvas Stadium March 10. (Collegian | Connor Roche)

Ayden Hector, DB, 6-foot-0, 210 pounds

Hector is the only player on this list to play more than one season with the Rams, spending the past four years with them. His first year was with Washington State.

The safety earned Third Team All-Mountain West honors in 2022 and stayed consistent as a starter throughout the next three years of his career.

His senior season, Hector only played in eight games and finished the season with 20 total tackles and one interception. He closed his collegiate career with 148 total tackles, five interceptions, two sacks and one touchdown.

A man wearing black compression shorts sprints forward.
Former Colorado State University defensive back Jake Jarmolowich finishes the 40-yard dash at the CSU Pro Day in Canvas Stadium March 10. (Collegian | Connor Roche)

Jake Jarmolowich, DB, 6-foot-1, 195 pounds

Jarmolowich played his graduate season of college football with the Rams following four seasons at Holy Cross. This past season, he recorded 72 tackles, four tackles for loss and a forced fumble.

The safety participated in both CSU and Holy Cross’ Pro Days and enters the 2026 NFL draft following his final year of eligibility.

Jarmolowich was a key piece of the Rams’ defense and displayed flashes throughout a nonideal 2025 season, standing out as a high-effort, versatile player who can play back in the secondary or up on the line of scrimmage.

Reach Devin Imsirpasic at sports@collegian.com or on social media @DImsirpasic.

Interested in more sports content? Sign up for Ram Report here for weekly CSU sports updates!

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About the Contributor
Cait Mckinzie
Cait Mckinzie, Photo Director
Cait Mckinzie is a third-year student double majoring in art and journalism and media communication. She is the returning photo director for the 2025-26 school year. As an out-of-state student from Renton, Washington, there wasn’t much in Fort Collins Mckinzie was familiar with when she first started at Colorado State University. But in high school, she was the co-head of visuals for her school newspaper, so she applied to The Collegian as a photographer during her first year to get back into a similar environment. At the end of her year as a freelancer, she was trained by Milo Gladstein and Garrett Mogel, her photo directors, to take over Gladstein’s position when he graduated. She attributes most of her photojournalistic experience — and some of her sense of humor — to them. Most of Mckinzie’s photography experience, though, comes from her grandfather. A photographer for most of his life, he gifted Mckinzie her first camera in her junior year of high school and taught her how to use it. With his guidance, she improved her skills during high school enough to get her to The Collegian, a paper that now takes up a large amount of her time. Mckinzie is excited for another year at The Collegian and aims to make her photo desk one Gladstein and Mogel would be proud of.