What we learned from Colorado State’s first day of fall camp, talking with Jay Norvell, & players

Start [Music] good afternoon y'all we are back with another edition of dmvr rams live as always I'm your host Justin Michael football's back baby we're talking about day one of camp out there brighten early at canvas Stadium it was great to be back I just love the vibe of football season the sights The Sounds pads uh hidden it wasn't full pads obviously but you know even like just shoulder pad pads Clank in a little bit the sound of the ball popping the smells of the football field it's it's awesome it feels like hmet great to be back we're going to be talking about observations from day one I'm going to play some video of Jay orell I'm also going to play some video from interviews with Jacob Gardner and Chase Wilson couple of veterans on the team both of those guys were preseason All Conference players so it was great to catch up with them we obviously talked to Tory Horton and Jack Howell out at media days so we had a couple of different guys today which was great get a little bit of a different perspective we'll have plenty of time to talk to Tori to BFN to all those guys like I love getting to talk to an offensive lineman every now and then even like a linebacker Chase Wilson we're probably going to talk to him plenty but those guys in the trenches the big uglies they don't necessarily always get the shine the run from the media so it's great to get a guy like him honest I mean he's the most experienced player in the entire Mountain West which is pretty crazy but it makes sense he's a four-year starter at this point he'll now be a fiveyear starter with his covid year before I get into everything um we did have just a couple of quick news hitters I'm going to hit more on these and great detail RMS tickets this weekend on an audio only podcast but there won't be a general release for single game tickets for the Rocky Mountain Showdown I had been talking about this for a while that it was likely going to be the case I saw mixed reaction um a lot of people just talking about how the simple economics of the situation kind of dictate it there was obviously going to be a really high demand for tickets for this game with it being the first Ms in Fort Collins since 1996 season ticket holders they had an opportunity to buy extra tickets on top of that so you know I I saw some people upset as if this was CSU trying to screw over fans or like force you to buy season tickets or mini game plans and I guess that is one way you can look at it but the reality is is there's just not that many tickets left and the tickets that they do have left they want to prioritize four season tickets for mini game plans and that makes sense because every season ticket holder I know bought extra Rocky Mountain Showdown tickets you know my brother I think they bought three or four like on on top of the two or three that they have so I mean my family alone that's like six seven tickets I know people that have double digits it's it's going to be a very hard ticket to come by I I feel for the people that won't be able to go that was always going to be the downside to the game being on campus is just that there are less tickets available I mean you could sell 70,000 in Den you could get 880,000 in Denver these days you know when you play it in Boulder it's like 55,000 I think with Standing Room don't quote me on that 41,000 at canvas with standing room I imagine they'll get every bit of that it's definitely going to be yeah the highest attended game in canvas Stadium history so far so it's it's tough for some people I get that but it's also exciting that there's so much demand for these tickets and as far as CU fans like overrunning the stadium there's certainly going to be a Buffs presence I mean I think you'd be ignorant to think that there won't be you know a couple thousand CU fans there that's just how it works that said you know I've seen some snarky people online being like they're all going to buy the two game mini plans there will be some that are willing to pay you know the couple hundred dollars for the multiple games there there absolutely will be some people that do that I think the amount of people uh that would do so is is being greatly exaggerated online maybe I'll be wrong come this fall we we shall see if that's the case I I'll admit it but I I'm not worried about that guys I'm not worried about it I think it's going to be vastly vastly predominantly CSU in that Stadium on September 14th but I just wanted to give you an update on that uh also on the recruiting front and I'll go more in WR Clarence Taylor commits to CSU depth this weekend again Clarence Taylor 6 foot1 165 pound wide receiver at a Pleasant Grove High Squad in Birmingham Alabama he to CSU yesterday 70 catches for 1600 yards this past season 25 touchdowns just absurdly consistent production average 23 yards a catch 135 yards a game listed a three star prospect on 247 Sports he's got offers from Memphis from Vandy from Cincinnati Georgia Tech a bunch of schools on there I really ruffled some feathers with my phrasing and my tweet and I I did not intend to I said the number one wide receiver and Alabama commits to CSU he is the statistically most productive player in the state he's not the highest rated recruit if if uh that's how you want to phrase it that way so I understand why some people I got confused by it but there were some people that were downright like Angry by it as if I was intentionally trying to be a disingenuous which I didn't quite understand but I think he's a a really intriguing Prospect again we'll talk about him more this weekend I appreciate everybody in the Toyota chat locked in with us shout out to all you great CSU fans appreciate you locked in if you wouldn't mind giving us a thumbs up on YouTube I certainly would appreciate it I'll get to your guys's questions and comments as best as I can shout out to Charlie he says J Mike be with you welcome to football season finally shout out my girlfriend sh love it on a long road trip shout out Charlie's girlfriend man shout out to anybody that's a significant other that has to put up with the football sio like us I get it it's not always easy it's not always easy for those in our lives when they want to be normal functioning human beings that have hobbies and and interests that you know go outside of our our crazy little world of college football and college basketball bless them they are angels for putting up with us and and make sure that you do something nice while you can I because trust me they're going to be uh they're going to be putting up with a lot come football season uh Antman shout out Anthony bars he wants to know when you get the chance how did Jordan Ross Armani Winfield and Caleb goody look I am definitely going to get into all that so please stay tuned I don't want to lose the flow of the show so I'm gonna I'm gonna get into that I promise coach Ty how confident are you guys for week one I mean they play Texas they're 36 and a half Point underdogs there's a reason that that spread is what it is how confident am I that CSU could cover that without a doubt do I think that it could be a game why not it's early in the season it's it's going to be hot you can have some sloppy play early on Wyoming had him in a one- score game late last year they were susceptable through the air a little bit could I see a world in which some some big offensive plays are are made uh without a doubt could I see a world in which Texas just rolls the Rams yeah honestly like how things go in Texas outside of like major injuries happening and and and greatly like impacting your expectations or shifting what the expectations would be you know week one to me you go out and you play that game and it's you know you just kind of take it with a grain of salt now obviously if you win you're gonna you're gonna brag for the the rest of Eternity uh but you know more than anything like to me it's kind of week two on is is really the the realistic timeline for like how I'm GNA gauge like the success of this team I just I I really don't know how much you can take away from if you lose big to what's probably one of the top two or three teams in in the country at least going into the year I mean Texas was my preseason pick to win the national championship so that kind of tells you what I think of the Longhorns going into that matchup we're going to get into thoughts from day one uh I I want to start us off here with some video of Coach Jay Norvell sound Jane orell kind of talking about day one uh just thoughts on it he talked about Braden fer Nicolosi who did have uh his fingers taped up on his non-throwing hand cracked a fingernail probably hit it on a helmet so we talked about that as we'll get that video here of Jane norell on day one talking about first day of training camp it's great to be back man I'm I'm stoked got you all right whenever we're ready coach that's on day one uh just excited to get out here um we've had a great off seon uh guys are bigger faster than we've ever been think we're in amazing shape and the guys were just excited to get out here and practice so they bouncing around it's like Braden might have had his finger did he hit it on a helmet maybe yeah we the last uh week uh the last workout before we finished summer he just he chipped his finger and he'll be okay it's not serious but we just want to be smart with him this week what are like you know Camp theme for you like what what's most important for you guys to get done between now and Texas well this is training camp so we're training our habits for the season so we're doing a lot of different new things uh we're training them uh how to use their day effectively uh to have uh Peak Performance and so there's a lot of lot of new ways that we're looking at how we go about our business on a daily basis so uh really doing that and we want to use this two weeks two and a half weeks to get them in Rhythm for what we need to do this season so that's number one thing how big are these next couple of weeks in terms of getting used to the radio communications process especially for the players you know we've been using it so we used it all spring we were able to get it used in the spring and it's great you know there's a lot of opportunities with that um we can we can communicate a lot differently than we always have in the past and the quarterbacks are doing a nice job with it um but we're also U you know getting used to the rhythm of playing that way you know we've been signaling for years and um it's hard I still signaling even though even though I'm calling it I'm signaling it so there's some changes but the kids are getting used to it do you think that'll be a benefit for you just less to have to think about yeah I think it will be a benefit I think it will and there's some advantages you know we have the same communication system as the NFL but we're different than the NFL we play we play a different style of game in college and so there's different things we can do that that NFL guys really don't take advantage I don't know if you broke down the Huddle before practice but if I paraphrase the theme was we have the team this is our time is there a sense here that that year three is the year we see this program take the next down is Henry Blackburn and yes we we got a lot of confidence in our team you know we we were the young team for two years we had a bunch of freshmen out here bunch of kids that look like Dy Hower you know and um they're growing up now you know now we have more experience um you know I think 17 of our 22 starters have over a th snaps which is a lot a lot of snaps and and so we've got uh more experience uh we're wiser and we have a better player that was Jay norell obviously talking with us always appreciate the time that he gives us always very gracious willing to answer questions you know some coaches it may sound silly but as simple of a question as me asking about Braden fer Nicholas his fingers being taped up could have really ruffled the feathers of some coaches and you know Jay always really great with us which is great A couple of things that he said that stood out to me obviously 17 players with a thousand of or more snaps there is a lot of experience on this team that if you believe that this team should turn a corner much of that has to do with the continuity that's been obviously a big talking point of this show now for a couple of weeks the depth behind them in certain spots that's kind of a big question mark and that's why these next couple of weeks are going to be really big for some of these first second third year players establishing the right habits you know we talked about being in training camp just establishing those those right routines because you've got a really big month you know coming up I I talked about the importance of having a hot September if you could go three and two or you know knock on wood four and one to to start the year all of a sudden that opens up the possibility of you know really accomplishing some pretty special things so we're going to continue talking about the takeaways from day one I'm going to get to more of your questions in the Toyota chat real quick I do want to talk about Lucy nicotine 100% pure nicotine always tobac free Lucy is not like the other ni pouch company that's owned by big tobacco they're like the mom and pop shops of pouches the pouches come in a variety of strengths from 4 milligram all the way up to 12 I'm a four milligram guy keep it kind of simple H you know two probably wouldn't be enough six would probably be a little bit much at times uh if you're not a pouch guy they've got gum and two four or six as well my favorite flavor is Apple ice mango was fire you can't go wrong with any of the fruit flavors to be honest they're all really really good me and my guy Jake over on the dmvr buff speeds we are big fans if you want to level up your nicotine routine with Lucy go to 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Rams use the promo code Rams to get 20% off your first order Lucy offers free shipping and has a 30-day refund policy if you change your mind that's lucy. and use that code Rams to get 20% off and always free shipping here comes the fine print Lucy products are only for adults of legal age every order is age verified warning this product contains nicotine nicotine is an addictive chemical I also want to shout out Toyota Toyota of course a proud partner of CSU Athletics and the official vehicle of dnvr for Generations Toyota has built durable Legends destined for greatness and perfect for Colorado so whether you're conquering off-road trails or hauling the way of the world there's a Toyota truck that's just right for you maybe it's the 2024 Tacoma or the return of the iconic 2024 Land Cruiser Toyota offers 17 models with available all-wheel drive or four-wheel drive like the Epic 4Runner they also offer more low and zero emission Vehicles combined than any other automaker to give customers numerous choices to reduce their carbon footprint 16 different hybrid vehicles to choose from like the tundra I force Max hybrid truck not to be out done Toyota SUVs take command on the road and on the trail so you can explore The Road Less Traveled without sacrificing smooth City rides and SUVs like the ra 4 on Grand Highlander Toyota is a proud partner of CSU Athletics in the official vehicle of dmvr all right um I want to get into my observations and kind of build off more of what norvel said we do have a couple Takeaways from day one at camp of questions here in the Toyota chat that I wanted to get to D Mills wants to know is norval on the hot seat if he wins a certain number or fewer games I've said this a couple of times I think the expectation needs to be a bowl game this year you've got seven home games you've got both your rivalry games at home you've got eight first year coaches on the schedule I'm not saying that Norvell is going to get fired if they don't make a bow but I certainly think that the the tensions from outside would would start to be pretty tense the the intensity of of criticism would definitely go up it would be a pretty uncomfortable situation probably at that point and obviously you have the administrative changes I mean there's a lot that's changed since he was hired we'll kind of see what happens there Chris wants to know any hint towards the new Unis should get those in about a week which I'm excited for hopefully that means we can play the new NCAA game with them if you see some of the pictures from prce today the back of the white helmets they they had stalwart on them say agie in cursive on the bumper we're getting some new AG uniforms I guess I'm just going to go out and say I didn't want to spoil it we'll kind of see what happens there with the jerseys and everything I think they're still going to have the Sailor uh RAM logo as far as I'm aware I don't think it's going to be major changes to the uniforms we are getting new agda uniforms which is exciting there might be some minor tweaks coming to State pride too I'm not 100% sure on that but keep your eyes out let's get into some observations and some just thoughts on what we heard from Norvell and then we'll get into what we heard from the players play some video of Chase Wilson I we'll also get some video of Jacob Gardner here and he'll talk about the continuity within the offensive line how different it is having three starters back compared to where they were at the last couple years BFN did have his finger wrapped on his non-throwing hand we didn't really see him throw a ball for like the first 40 minutes I I was a little worried that I wasn't going to have anything to talk about in terms of observations just because you know if we they're not even in full pads so like you kind of have to take everything with a grain of salt it's day one like there's plenty of time um but I I wanted to have something to talk about and if I didn't even get to watch qb1 throw any reps it would have been kind of tough out there uh but he he's gonna be fine like he he looked fine throwing the ball didn't seem to be impacting him too much I think they're probably just trying to limit how many snaps he's taking let it heal a little bit while they have that time you don't want it to become something that's persistent and and nagging throughout the course of the season because you decided to go gung-ho on on day one when it really was not necessary um I I'm not worried about Braden at all I I watched a lot of offense today admittedly so I'm going to try and lock in a little bit more on the defensive side tomorrow and and the trenches a little bit as well admittedly like until you're in full pads there's there's only so much you're going to take away from the individual drills especially defensively like you can kind of gauge how guys are moving obviously you know how in shape they might look that type of stuff and again I don't want to be unfair on on day one and draw false conclusions because I watched a guy you know take like two reps or something in the corner some people do that in this game that's just not how I choose to operate I'm going to keep you guys as informed as possible I'm going to give you guys as much detail as possible I also going to do everything I can to not misconstrue things to not try and be over dramatic or make something seem like it's a bigger deal than it is you know like certain guys are going to miss practices every now and then certain guys are are you know going to mess up a rep here and there or they're gonna do well in a rep there I'm not going to Crown them preseason All Conference because they make one catch or two Chris Pratt says hot Tak sailor ramls are better than the bone horns I love the bone horns they're nostalgic I I kind of wish they could have both options especially on the video game but I'm with you I I think that the current iteration of AG day uniforms and we'll kind of see how they get changed are much sharper than the previous ones I understand they have a little bit less orange and green than the original versions when they looked like literal pumpkins well I mean the very first version was disaster it was like still part green and gold start part pumpkin and alal it was it was not a good look and then it eventually turned into a straight pumpkin look the ones they have now are very very clean I'm a big fan I'm interested to see kind of what happens there getting back to the observations I think the the biggest takeaway from today is that this team passes the eye test in terms of athleticism and size I I've I've talked about that a lot on the show so it wasn't surprising but it's one of those things to see it on paper it's another thing to see it played out on the field and when you look at guys like Jackson Warren who's every bit 6 foot7 I mean I posted a video of him on dmvr Rams Twitter I mean the Dude Looks Like looks like he should be playing you know four on Nico medved's basketball team not out there playing tight end but he is going to be just an absolute mismatch for Mountain West DBS I mean you throw the ball nine 10 feet up in the air let him go get it some of these 5 foot 11 Corners like what are you supposed to do with that I don't know I mean he he moves too well for linebackers he's far too big for a lot of these Corners I think once they get their Rapport established there's there's a possibility of of him really having a breakout season in year one and and it's hard to do so as a tight end but I am I'm hearing a lot of good things about how he is kind of adapting behind the scenes he's a former quarterback which doesn't hurt his cause just in terms of picking up the Playbook being able to have an understanding of what the offense is trying to accomplish at any given moments what made D Hulker so special is that guy was just so natural out in space like he he did a great job of finding ways to get open of sitting inside coverages of you know moving when Braden had to roll out and just finding a space and sitting down giv the QB an option to dump the ball off of that's the type of stuff that takes time to develop that kind of sick sense with each other you start to know what they're going to do before they even do it but in terms of athleticism he he passes the eye test man I'm really excited looks like a a natural pass catcher he is a guy that is fairly new to the position I mean he's a converted quarterback but I I I think Jackson Warren's going to be the real deal and what's exciting is they've got a lot of size in that room even outside of him you look at a guy like Mason mua who signed in the last class I mean he walked past me he's every bit of 6'4 big old arms I mean they just they have a a level of like I don't know intim inating like does that make sense like they're they're much more intimidating than they had been in in previous years top to bottom whether it's the receiver room whether it's the running back room the tight end room they they just have so many more options they're bigger they're stronger they're more athletic and I'm really interested to see how it pans out I will say it does seem like Jackson Warren is the clear-cut number one tight end going into the season even though he just got here I mean it reading between the lines that that was always pretty obvious the snaps been talking him up since he signed but I just wondered if if coming in late would kind of slow down the the process a little bit but it's been absolutely fine he lives with BFN that's great I think they're going to have a lot of time to work together I'm really excited to see what he brings to the offense because as good as D was and he was obviously a stud last year a Mackie award semifinalist there are just going to be things physically that Jackson Warren can do that other guys aren't going to be able to I and I think that's the case with a lot of these receivers I mean Tory Horton looks great he looks like he's put on some muscle Jay said uh Jay norvel he said out at media days that Tori had put on about 10 pounds of muscle I would agree he looks thicker me Dylan GNE you look at that dude's Cavs he's a unit he's every bit of 215 Dylan goff's got great size armanii Winfield maybe a little bit skinnier than those guys but just the way that he moves is different and there is only so much that you can take away from watching you know the the individual drills portion of a non full padded practice like I don't want to get carried away but there are certain things you can see just with how fluid guys are with the way they're getting out of their breaks you know with how fast they are and when you watch an Armani Winfield when you watch a Tory Horton they're just they're moving differently than everybody else out on the field um a couple of the young guys that I think are really encouraging I posted a video of Caleb goody I had multiple people come up to me and Rave about good talked about how he had an awesome offseason said he's not even close to the same player that he was a year ago he looked really good Jordan Ross he looks the part I didn't get to focus in on Jordan Ross quite as much as I would have liked to he was on the far side of the field from me a lot of the time but you can just see with the way he moves again it's it's similar to armanii Winfield like the way those guys come out of their cuts the the way they're coming off the line of scrimage it just looks a little bit different than everybody else and you've got to credit the staff you've got to credit the staff for bringing in a different caliber of athlete than what we had seen across the board and this team just looks so much bigger so much more athletic they've got a lot of experience which is encouraging but I think that the fact that they passed that it test was was really encouraging because there are times especially with transfers where they're coming from like a junior college and you know they're listed at 64 230 or whatever and you show up and they're like 62 and a half 225 on a good day yeah I I don't think that's the case with these guys the the young guys look as athletic as advertised and Jackson Warren looks you know as as big and as strong as advertised kind of getting into the quarterbacks again you know it's limited sample size only so much that you can take care of uh Denzel Curry or Denzel Curry derius curry good Lord Darius Curry throws a really pretty ball I he is small I will say that um he he's definitely one of the shorter quarterbacks I've seen in the room maybe ever uh that said the fact that the staff talks about him the way that they do the fact that he had as much success as he did in a really high level high school program like I it almost makes me believe in him that much more like he's got that Kyler Murray s game he can run around a little bit he's got a rocket of an arm he's very accurate the ball looks gorgeous coming out of his hand um you we only saw him throw a little bit today but I'm interested I'm really interested to see kind of what he brings to the table and just stylistically it's going to look a little bit different than you know BFN or Jackson brusso or even you know paholski or a poer I'm curious to see how that situation pans out because I I could I could see a world in which he ends up being you know everything he was hyped up to be just this freak athlete with a beast of an arm that for whatever reason got overlooked by a bigger school I mean it's it's because he's short like if if he would have been you know two three inches taller he probably ends up being a a USC or something like that I mean when you watch him on film when you look at the the type of plays he made athletically in a very very highly touted you know football conference I I just I think he could be the real deal I'm really excited about a couple of these freshmen now it's we're a long ways away I don't want to get anybody you know over excited I mean if if everything goes to plan for CSU you know bfn's the starter for at least the the rest of this year hopefully for next year too and then you're you know competing going for championships and it's you know not even a long time till we have to worry about that but you know I know that the people want to know how do the Freshman quarterbacks look he's intriguing um we're gonna get to some video here of the players we're going to talk about what we learned from Chase Wilson from Jacob Gardner I I do want to shout out the circus sports book real quick the circus sports book is awesome it's run by the same amazing people that run the Circa Resort and Casino out in Vegas you guys follow me you know that's my Mecca I love that place out there a couple of times a year no better spot to watch a game they've got affordable food it's just awesome but what's great about the Circ Sportsbook uh you're going to get some of the best splits around they're highly transparent they don't limit your winnings you know other places you might get more like minus 115 minus 120 splits whereas Circa they're striving to hit you with that minus 110 they don't limit you when you start winning their customer service is Awesome download the app at Circus sports.com circus Sports bets can be made while physically located in the state of Colorado must be 21 or older all right deserve circus Sports Colorado encourages you to gamble responsibly gambling problem colorex 100 Gambler or visit problem gambling col.org guys life can be chaotic it's it's it's been a long day I'm not going to lie it's great to have football back but we got relatives visiting you know I'm about to go on vacation I've got a lot to do before I do that I've got you know work I've got to get done I've got you know things to pack things to clean it's stressful I can honestly if I let it I I can let it put me in a in a pretty poor mood be pretty cranky just not a good vibe and that's not what I want I want to be a chill dude I want to have a chill mindset and that's what Kors light encourages sometimes I got to go outside sometimes I got to take a couple of deep breaths sometimes I got to do some push-ups or you know get a sweat going or something like that whatever it is put myself in the right state of mind then when I'm kicking back when I'm chilling when I'm relaxing crack open that ice cold Coors Light when the mountains turn blue it's as cold as the Rockies when you Embrace a chill mindset it's a good time to choose chill and crack open a Coors Light make the most out of the times you choose to chill choose Coors Light choose Kors light get Coors Light delivered straight to your door with instacart by going to coorslight.com dmvr celebrate responsibly Coors Brewing Company Golden Colorado sometimes I mispronounce something so bad it even catches me off of guard oh that was that was rough all right we're gonna get into these videos here um I do want to get to some of these comments in the Toyota chat speaking of I test how does this year's o line look in size compared to last year I mean a lot of them are similar and and we're going to get to that video of Jacob Gardner kind of talking about the continuity within the the team I mean you have three of the the five starters are back so a lot the unit looks the same even in the two deep a lot of these guys have been in your program you know Tanner Morley is only his second year but Aaron Caris you know it's like his third year in the program a couple of these guys have been around but I think they're going to average around 65305 with with the two deep which is Light Years above what it was a couple years ago under a Daio I legitimately it was more like six2 and a half you know like 285 290 if that's probably more like 275 with some of those guys so it's they they look the part like they look the part I've heard a lot of good things about some of these guys that have been in the program and had some time to develop there were some bumps along the way obviously 2022 was a train wreck Norvell joke they couldn't even find 22 guys to to play in 2022 but I'm I'm pretty encouraged by the offensive line and that's one of the the reasons I think that the offense has a pretty good opportunity to build off of what they did last year I mean you you can have all the talent in the world out wide you can have a quarterback with a great arm if you can't protect him none of it matters I think the O Line's going to be pretty good um we're going to play a video here of Jacob Gardner We hear from Jacob Gardner talking about that oine continuity I have it in the notes as Chase Wilson so hopefully I don't throw off Alyssa the producer behind the scenes but this feels more in line with what we're talking about uh so if we can get that video here Jacob Gardner talking about the continuity within the offensive line what's it like starting this camp with three returning starters as opposed to last year when it was you and a whole new crew it's a lot easier I mean um we're able to to put combos together easier we're able to uh communicate we're on the same level it doesn't take as much you know explanation for for best to to get certain uh ideas through us so um you know knowing how each other play is I mean it changes the game in terms of how we're able to move people off the line and what we expect from the running back and um what they can expect from us as well so so I know the number every we took away you know like the sacks from the first year allowed to last year and what a big Improvement that was this year Jay's talking about the Run game he averaged 3.3 last year he wants better than four what do you do as an offensive line to work towards that go uh a big thing uh at least for me this offseason was understanding uh leverage um I I know it sounds obvious but it's it's it's harder um it's harder to do than than and you know to say it getting under people um with my guards is super imperative to to being able to get guys off the ball for for gaps to open up um I'd say that's one of the biggest things we've also put more time and effort into practice um uh you know in terms of running things instead of screens it's you know it's run emphasis it's um we're just putting a lot more effort into it and we want to see a change so is that an easier goal to accomplish when it's like you drew and Savon all have a working relationship together you can factor in two guys it's easier to reach that goal no doubt no doubt we have our own Communication System um being able to to talk to Drew and kind of like our own language and I know how he likes this and I know how I like it let's figure something out it's not this brand new thing of like how do you you know how do you how do you want to play this it's I know how you play this and we can we can work better now we hear all about the air I think that continuity is going to be massive for the offensive line this year it's great to have Jacob Gardner and Drew Moss back zavon Henderson at left tackle as well again like you play some tough games I I am interested to see how this unit handles the size and We hear from Chase Wilson athleticism of Texas but I I I'm pretty cautiously optimistic about the potential of this unit and and if they can run the ball with a little bit more consistency than they did last year if they can build up what they established l in the year I think it's really going to help this offense go to the next level shout out to my guy John in the Toyota chats another Bear Creek bear love to see it some saying Bear Creek the ultimate local feeder program for CSU I mean Justin Holland the highest rated recruit in in program history uh Jake Bennett recently went on to be in the Hall of Champions uh you know Barry Wesley and BC Johnson both went to the NFL I don't count I cover the team I'm just a podcast stor but I I like to put myself in the same conversation as those great Rams but shout out to my guy John I appreciate all other bears and Rams support in the show we're going to get some more video here's some more player video this is Chase Wilson on being a leader I asked him a little bit just how different it is going into fall Camp you know as a fourth fifth year guy in the program versus being a wide-eyed freshman I talked to him about assuming you know the more vocal leadership role I remember back in 2022 dcoin Jackson was really hyping up Chase as the next guy and he had an awesome game on senior day to close out the year had a couple of sacks like double digit tackles and then last year really broke out onto the scene I was one of the the top three leading tacklers in the conference he is switching roles on the defense this year him and boom Jack I will be the linebackers but he's gonna have a little bit of a different role he talks about that but here is Chase Wilson talking about being a leader and talking about how things are different as a veteran versus being a Freshman Chase just thoughts on day one it's great so good to be flying around with the guys again um all glory to God for this beautiful day that he's made for us and um just great to be out here with the fellows again how different is it being out here as a you know a senior a starter a guy who's been here versus you know being wide-eyed as a freshman it's extremely different and I think um even when I came in as a freshman just kind of the team that we've made and the culture that we have is extremely different from when I initially got here um I'm really proud of it and I'm really blessed and proud to be a part of team I remember back on Senior Day in 2022 you know dcoin Jackson kind of talking you up how you're next you had a big game do you feel like you've kind of assumed that role that he was talking about back in the day yeah absolutely um djck was a great mentor for me and still is to this day I actually re reached out to him last night he put me on uh those little toe spacers that some of the guys in the league do so I worked with some on Amazon last night um but yeah DJ's been a great mentor for me and I think throughout my life he will continue to be that so what makes you you know obviously it's just Sor camp but kind why is you optimistic about this team this group I think just going back to what I said like the culture I think these guys really possess a genuine love and care for each other and you can see it on day one I mean from your guys perspective I think that's the best day one of fall camp that I've ever seen at a team you know guys are flying around there's no l in any energy there's no l in competitiveness um strain so that's always good to see Jay and some of the guys have talked about just the you know size strength speed numbers you know across the team from your perspective is this like the the biggest most athletic group you've been part of absolutely a lot of credit uh is that to coach Simmons he put together a great plan for us um this past winter and the summer got guys a lot stronger a lot faster and a lot of credit to the teammates um cuz they really invest their themselves in his program and show seem like the bets were really leaning into teaching today uh Jack is out there teaching tor you um what's that like for you guys to be able to teach the young guys it's honestly like one of the most rewarding things I think in sports especially now as an older guy U being able to pass on the knowledge I've accumulated for 5 years and some of these other guys um to help bring everybody up right it's not about gatekeeping information or um trying to be better you want to you want your young guys to be better than you when you come back in five years and watch games right so that's kind of what we want as a group and um I think we definitely have that softspoken Chase Wilson really humble really gracious individual really talented dude as well as Rich Nicolosi says Chase is a stud and looking bigger great to see rich in the Toyota chat appreciate you tuned in I'm I'm really excited about this season guys like it's day one you got to take everything with the grain of salt but there were a couple of more quotes from those guys that I wrote down that I didn't put in the video um you know one of the things we've heard pretty consistently from the veterans whether it be Jack Howell or Tory Horton out in Vegas out immedia days conversations with you know BFN and some of these other guys the accountability level has changed from a player leadership standpoint a lot of these guys have been in this program for three for four for five years in some instances they've been through hell together they're tired of losing it's one thing to just say it I mean every team coming off of a losing season at the beginning of the year they're going to say you know we did things wrong last year we're going to do things right this year and I understand that I will say there is a different vibe with the program right now just in terms of the culture I mean when practice ends guys aren't rushing to get out of there they're they're working on individual drills I mean you see people like Kennedy McDow and boom jock working you know together and that was something they used to do behind the scenes with Mo chimra I mean you see the receivers continuing to put in work again like that's what they should be doing but that wasn't always necessarily the case with this program and I'm just I'm encouraged that there's a lot of really levelheaded and talented guys at the top of this program to kind of guide the way people like Chase Wilson people like Jacob Gardner Tory Horton Jack Howell I mean I can go on and on that you know Blackburn Patty Turner BFN all of them I get that there is a lot of unproven depth at the moment you know I think a lot of people in the two deep are relatively unproven especially on the defensive side of the ball and you know I've had some questions how good can this defense be plus 36 against Texas has Dills scared in the Toyota chat I get it also they could lose by like 40 to Texas and that wouldn't really shift my opinion that much of what this team can be or should be I think Texas is probably one of the top three or four teams in the entire country I think competing against them would be validating in a major way and obviously if you could find a way to make his history and win that game it would be up there with going to the UFA in 1994 and you know taking down a team that was widely projected to be a national champion that year it' be like beating CU in 2002 I mean it would be one of the biggest wins in school history if you were able to pull it off with an opportunity to potentially pull off another one of the biggest wins in school history a couple weeks later when CU comes to Fort Collins for the first Rocky Mountain Showdown locally since 1996 or at least in in this part portion of the state obviously the game has been played I just I really like the mentality of a lot of these guys at the top I I feel like they're very genuine it's not just lip service with them their actions speak much louder than their words and you know one of the things that stood out to me is and and I didn't put this in the video but Chase got asked essentially like what should the what is the expectation this year like do you guys believe that you're going to turn a corner that you're going to be a championship contending team and Shay said yeah you know the expectation is there and and talk you know a little bit about being confident and one of the TV reporters essentially tried to get his clip and and I'm not saying this trying to take shots they're just doing their job we have completely different jobs uh they're just trying to get their little you know clip for the nine o'clock news I get it where you know you get the veteran players saying it's Mountain West Championship or bus you know we're going to win and internally they should have those type of lofty expectations but I liked that chase Wilson essentially refused to say exactly what their goals are like you know a lot of our goals are a little bit more internal and to me that's a sign that they're not just trying to make headlines they're not just going out and saying things to say things because that's what they feel like they're supposed to do they know that they should have been a bow team last year they know that a handful of plays prevented them from achieving what they should have it left a sour taste in everyone's mouth my mine included yours included if if it bugged you just imagine how it felt to actually be on the field for that I just I I feel like these guys get it in a way that maybe some teams in the past didn't and I also think that it probably took a whole lot of heartbreak and a lot of you know some of these players having to go through some really tough losses over the years for it to really click and and I'm hoping that we we see it translate you know into more success the fact that these guys really understand just how how slim you know the margin is between winning and losing like you're legitimately four or five plays going differently last year from being at least a seven- win team instead you're sitting at five and seven you know watching everybody else play football because you're home for the holidays and I don't think that the expectation should be mountainwest Championship or bust I think that we kind of have to get into the season and see how things start going I've talked about how the path is there to Make Some Noise especially if you can start hot in September I don't want to make the the whole Spiel again but I think that the vibe of the program is in a good spot right now maybe uncharacteristically so for a team that had as rough of a year as they did last year at least with the way that the season ended I mean they made a lot of progress um but I just mean like that seas that the way that that season ended the way that that loss occurred after already losing the way that you did against UNLV against CU I mean that have been a program breaker like you could have totally lost the locker room obviously you lose a couple guys to the portal but I mean the main leaders of this team they chose to stick around and I I I think it's going to pay off this year I do you know again like I'm not saying they're going to win every game they play I'm not saying you know they're going to be in the playoff but I do think the opportunity for this team to greatly outperform anything that we've seen in in recent years is there now that they're going to need the defense to be a lot more consistent and they're going to need some guys to step up that are rather unproven right now and until we see it you know we'll kind of have to gauge that like as with a grain of Sal you know we're kind of in waitand Sea mode with some of these guys offensively I think they can be great I think they can be the best in the league I mean one of the best offenses in the country they already were a year ago but if they can run the ball with more consistency the sky's limit so I'm I'm really excited to see how this plays out I won't have another live show for a week cuz I will be on vacation but I'll be back next Saturday as well at 1 p.m. so I'm really looking forward to that I'll post about it don't worry I'll keep you in the loop I will have more Audio Only podcasts that come out between now and then don't worry I'm not just going to leave you hanging for a week without content not the most ideal timing in terms of having this uh family reunion but you know got to see my grandma while I still can not not sure how many of these family trips I'm I'm going to have left and honestly like life's going to be pretty chaotic for the next nine months it's going to be amazing it's going to be everything that I love football and basketball as much as I can consume but you know the months go quickly and and all of a sudden you know I realize like I haven't seen anybody that I love in my life in three and a half months that happens pretty regularly to me uh so I'm I'm looking forward to having just a little last offseason Harrah and then you know we are we're going full balls to the wall for the next six seven months all CSU football all CSU basketball all day it's going to be awesome all kinds of written content coming your way we've got features make sure following us on on Twitter on YouTube on everywhere that you consume content uh before we get out of here couple more questions in the TOA chat looking ahead what does the practice schedule look like when do they put on pads open scrimmages enjoy your family it's so important uh much love first scrimmage will be next Wednesday so I will unfortunately miss that one then it will be the the following Wednesday after that and then I think it's like the following Saturday so essentially you have one a week for the next three weeks I putting shells on in a couple of days you go full pads usually around day four day five it kind of depends on every team but that's roughly kind of the timeline of of how it plays out you kind of start with your shoulder pads and shorts then you go to shells then eventually work in some full pads then you know you know keep it light you do some some non- contct days as well but you got to condition yourself for contact before the season I can't wait I'm going to have more content this year than I've ever had from the dmvr side I mean I took over obviously in 2019 over here a lame duck Bobo year then we have 18 months of wonkiness with the pandemic followed by Steve adio followed by the mass Exodus followed by last year of it finally looking like this team was going to turn the corner and unfortunately kind of Fallen flat on their faces in the end but I think your patience is going to be rewarded Ram Nation I think finally we're gonna see this team win some games that that matter we're going to see this team score some points we're going to have a little bit of fun fun and I'm going to be there for it all we're going to have all kinds of live shows at least three a week potentially more depending on kind of what's Happening depending on how much winning is going on I mean the more they win the more we can do that's really how it it works so I I can't wait I appreciate everybody that's locked in with us in the Toyota chat I appreciate everybody listening on the audio only side down the line you guys make all this possible without your support I would not be able to do this much love y'all always proud to be peace [Applause] we all sitting like the May