Graduate transfer Bates says MW is tougher than Pac-12

FORT COLLINS» Transfers are lending their senior leadership to Colorado State football’s defense this fall.

Defensive end Jalen Bates (Arizona State), linebacker Tron Folsom (Troy) and cornerback Andre Neal (College of San Mateo) all transferred to Fort Collins for their final seasons. Marshaun Cameron, a transfer cornerback from Northern Colorado, has two years of eligibility remaining.

“Everybody came in with a mind-set of being better than what we were last year,” Folsom said. “It’s more than just us four guys that are putting in. It’s the whole defense. Everybody has a different mentality than they did last year, and we’re all coming together. It’s not going to take four guys to win games. It’s going to take all 11 on defense.”

The bond was created early and has only intensified throughout fall camp as the group continues to lend maturity to younger teammates

“We all talked before we got here and it was a mindset of, we’re going to come in and be big differencemakers on the defense,” Bates said. “I love Coach (John) Jancek’s attitude and Coach (Keith) Gilmore’s attitude towards changing the defense. I feel like we have the pieces in line, and we just have to come in and be the pieces to the puzzle.”

For Bates, the move allows him to fit into a 4-3 system coming off the edge at defensive end as opposed to playing in an odd front with Arizona State. The 6foot-4, 246-pounder was in on 31 tackles last season, including a sack and one forced fumble.

And though he’s transitioning from a Power Five conference to the Group of Five, Bates saw enough from the Mountain West last season to leave him thoroughly impressed with the competition he’s set to face this fall. The Sun Devils lost to San Diego State and Fresno State last year, two teams that proved to Bates the toughness of players in the Mountain West.

“They’re not big guys but they’re really, really tough,” he said. “I feel like this conference is more tough than the Pac-12. I played against both sides a lot and I feel like this conference is tougher. Not as big, not as agile maybe, but really, really, really tough. San Diego State was probably my hardest game.”