COLORADO STATE FOOTBALL: Rams open practice with plenty of new faces on the field and the sideline.
Rams feature lots of new faces on the field and on the sideline
FORT COLLINS» There’s more talk between coaches this season because there are some new faces on staff at Colorado State.
They are listening too, and that includes head coach Mike Bobo, who said he’s really going to try to heed the advice of new line coach and offensive coordinator Dave Johnson.
“I’m trying to be more positive than saying, ‘Oh, man, it’s gong to be tough,’ because Coach Johnson (told) our offense last night that one thing we could improve on is leadership, and he said we need positive and consistent leadership,” Bobo said with a grin. “So I’m going to be positive, and I’m going to be consistent.”
His team made it easier for him to not only turn over that new leaf, but keep it flipped as the Rams opened fall camp on Friday. There was concern that thunder and lightning would hamper practice.
The skies cleared.
There was also some concern with all the new faces. Not just the coaches — and the entire defensive staff is new — but players. A full recruiting class on campus, most of them freshmen, plus the addition of three graduate transfers, all being thrust into a position of need. That starts with quarterback K.J. CartaSamuels, who went from a backup at Washington to running with the first-team offense at CSU his first day.
Glitches were anticipated. They just didn’t really develop.
“There was a lot better flow than spring ball,” Bobo said after the workout. “You might not expect that with all these new players and guys being out, but again, I go back to the summer. The improvement that was made from the last spring practice to now was tremendous.”
Bobo made sure the coaching staff took full advantage of the two hours a week they could work with the team, staggering vacation plans so there was at least one full-time coach on campus all summer.
The seniors noted the importance of needing a fast, smooth start, so they took their summer job seriously.
“I’m not surprised at all, because the seniors, we knew we were going to be young, and when those freshman came in, we definitely needed to get them on the same page as all of us,” receiver Bisi Johnson said. “I think in our workouts and those skellys on Tuesdays and Thursdays, we helped them understand the culture we have at CSU.”
Not only was Carta-Samuels moved to the top of the class, but so was grad transfer cornerback V.J. Banks from Rice. Offensive tackle T.J. Roundtree from Louisville slotted in with second unit.
As for the freshmen, the coach noted the skill-position players are being pushed, especially at wide receiver, linebacker and in the secondary. Not just for position depth, but special teams work.
“We have a lot of new guys on defense and offense. I think they got right into it in the offseason, learned the playbook, knew where they were supposed to be,” wideout Warren Jackson said. “Our upperclassmen did a lot. On the field, it’s just us. The coaches can’t play for us. The upperclassmen really stepped up, took leadership and let those guys know what we needed and got it out of them.”