Colorado State University Athletics
Spring Notebook: Football begins spring camp with 1st practice
3/25/2016 12:00:00 AM | Football
FORT COLLINS, Colo. – Colorado State head coach Mike Bobo began his second spring football camp on Friday, holding the first of 15 practices. It came two weeks after the first practice a year ago, with Bobo stating that he wanted his team to wait until after spring break to begin camp in order to improve retention.
“I love this day because it’s a chance to get back on the grass and practice playing football,” Bobo said. “The drills and the weights and the running are all part of what’s going to help us win football games, but ultimately you’ve got to do it on the field and run plays and execute and communicate. That’s the fun part. There’s always excitement on the first day getting back out there, and it’s been a long time.”
While Bobo’s big emphasis this spring will be on competition, Friday’s focus was more on the details.
“Today was not about competition; it was about alignment and knowing our assignment and execution and being safe,” Bobo said. “I thought we were locked in, especially defensively. Not just the 11 on the field but guys on the sideline were talking and communicating, too.”
CSU returns to the practice field Saturday afternoon for its second practice. With the quick turnaround, Bobo said he put expectations on his players to watch film on their own, in addition to the coaches reviewing the tape.
New faces
While there were plenty of similar faces, there were also several newcomers. Of the Rams’ 26 signees, four are on campus and competing with the team. Houston Haynes is competing at safety and A’Keitheon Whitner is playing cornerback. Both are Juco transfers with two years of eligibility remaining. Also new to the program are quarterbacks Faton Bauta – a graduate transfer from Georgia – and Collin Hill – a prep star in South Carolina. Junior-to-be Nick Stevens, who passed for 21 touchdowns as an All-Mountain West performer in 2015, will enter camp as the No. 1 starter, but Bauta, Hill and redshirt sophomore J.C. Robles will also get opportunities to prove themselves.
Bobo on Bauta: “He’s a serious guy. When I talk about focus and a guy being in tune, he gets that and is a great example to our whole football team of what we’re looking for. He’s going to be prepared, and usually if you’re prepared you’re going to have a chance to be successful.”
Bobo on Hill: “He’s as far along as many midyear transfer I’ve had. He was a little slow today when the bullets were flying, but in the meeting room he’s doing a really, really good job.”
Position changes
Several players made slight position changes entering the spring – including Zack Golditch moving to tackle, Preston Hodges to safety and Kevin Davis to middle linebacker – but Bobo also announced this week that Jordon Vaden and Marcus Wilson would switch positions.
Vaden has spent the past three seasons at wide receiver, racking up 38 receptions for 481 yards and three touchdowns. A speedy four-sport athlete at Prairie High School (Colorado), Vaden also played quarterback for the Thunderhawks. Wilson played both cornerback and wide receiver in high school while helping Valor Christian to three consecutive Colorado 5A state titles. The redshirt sophomore has been listed as a cornerback the past two seasons, but has not played.
Less installation
One thing Bobo was pleased with was that, unlike a year ago, many players weren’t having to learn a new offense.
“There’s natural progression, especially offensively,” he said. “I think (last spring) they knew what the play was but didn’t know what we were trying to do. I think they know the answers now and know when they make a mistake. They’re not as lost.”
The Lubick legacy
Earlier Friday, CSU held a celebration of football event for Ram Club members where Bobo prepped fans for spring ball and director of athletics Joe Parker announced three exciting updates on the new on-campus stadium. First, he told the crowd that the project is on time and on budget, and second, he announced that nearly 70 percent of premium seats have been sold. He waited a few minutes before announcing the third, and biggest, announcement: Thanks to a $20 million donation by an anonymous donor, the field of CSU’s new stadium will be named Sonny Lubick Field.
Lubick, who was the head coach of the Rams from 1993-2007, led CSU to nine bowl games, six conference titles and 108 victories. He was the 1994 Sports Illustrated National Coach of the Year and has remained a prominent fixture in the CSU and Fort Collins communities over the last decade. More information on the exciting announcement can be found here, including photos and video.
