Rams look bigger, more experienced at defensive line

FORT COLLINS» In CSU coach Mike Bobo’s estimation, they played too much.

They were forced to as true freshmen to provide depth to a defensive line that needed even more, but play Ellison Hubbard and Livingston Paogofie did. The same for Emmanuel Jones, who will move from the old buck position to a defensive end.

There were bumps, for certain. Hubbard isn’t exactly sure he was ready to contribute, while Paogofie doesn’t think he contributed enough. But the experience they all gained — along with the weight in the offseason — promises to pay dividends this season.

“I think anytime you can get a year of football under your belt, it’s valuable,” new CSU defensive coordinator John Jancek said. “We’re going to lean on those guys a lot up front to get after the quarterback. I hope that experience pays off.”

They all have experiences to fall back on as they move to a new system, one they feel is actually better suited to the players and should accentuate what they do well.

“What they’re asking us to do is different than last year,” Hubbard said. “Last year, they really had us hold the gap and so the linebackers did all the feeling and making the tackles. This year is involving the whole defense to make tackles and make plays.

“The defense fits for our aggressiveness rather that last year, when it was more sit back and let things happen.”

In other words, the defensive line is going after the tackles they helped the linebackers scrape to get last year. Hubbard has not yet informed Josh Watson he’s going after some of his stats.

And he’ll do it with a bit more size. Same for Paogofie and Jones, who all have added close to 20 pounds of good weight (and strength), suiting them better for the rigors of squaring off with 300pound offensive linemen.

Paogofie said he can already tell a difference, and he expects it will help him feel better about his season.

“I feel like I wasn’t very productive last year, but I know what it feels like to be on the field,” he said. “This year, I feel if I come out and play much harder, everything will come well.

“My mind-set coming into college was to be productive for this team. I hate losing, and I feel like I didn’t contribute well to the D-line, to the defense, and most important, to the team.”

Jones, who missed spring camp with a broken wrist, has more catching up to do than his classmates. It’s not only the missed reps in the new system, but the missed reps at a new position.