RamWire: Six Rams Take Advantage of Starting Careers Early

FORT COLLINS, Colo. – He packed for an official visit. That was all.

By the end of the weekend, Gage Gaynor had decided to remain in Fort Collins – first suggested by his father, Peter, who was on the trip. Gaynor was going to be a Ram, and it was going to happen much quicker than he expected.

"So they called me on Tuesday, told me they like my film and were interested in me, so they scheduled an official visit for that weekend," Gaynor said. "Once I got here, I fell in love with the school, I committed that Saturday. They were like, 'yeah, school starts Tuesday, why don't you stay? Why even go home?'

"It's a big commitment, but I'm down for it, so I had to get all my stuff shipped up here."

He returned to his hotel with his father, and while all Gaynor had packed was two pair of sweat pants and a couple of hoodies, by Sunday, he decided to hold back and returned as a student when school started, while Peter went back home to pack up his son's belongings and ship them to Fort Collins. He is one of five high school players who are early enrollees for Colorado State football's 2020 signing class, a number which jumped to 20 total after 10 additions Wednesday.

Gaynor was preceded by Bam Amina, Henry Blackburn, Kyjuan Herndon and Casey Irons, Jr., all who signed in December. The five early high school enrollees are the most for the program in any one signing class; last year, the Rams had two.

"I think it's a personal decision the kids make," CSU head coach Steve Addazio said. "They forego their spring season, spring semester of high school, but it gives them a chance to get in. It's not for everybody, but it gives you a chance to get started. I think to be in the winter program and the spring program is a tremendous jump. It gives you a great head start because there really is an adjustment period. Going through that in January as opposed to June is a tremendous advantage.

"It hard mentally, because you're coming from home, but anybody I've ever talked to who has done it says it's amazing how much further ahead they are."

A sixth early addition – Boston College transfer Cam Reddy – has the advantage of knowing what to expect having played for CSU head coach Steve Addazio, even if it is in a different setting.

"It's been funny. You're the guy who's new to the place, but then there are people who have been here for five years, and they're asking you about how things work," Reddy said. "It's just a very unique situation. It's funny. The guys have definitely been curious, like, what do we do here. But everybody is buying in. It's going to be great."

The familiarity with Addazio made the decision easier for Reddy, who said all he had to do was check up on the school, admitting he knew little about the university, the football program or the surrounding community.

Addazio and his staff were able to complete the class with all of them able to hit the road immediately when recruiting reopened in January, targeting the state of Colorado on the first day. The push led the signing of a fifth in-state player, Sanjay Strickland, a defensive lineman out of Pomona. The Rams added more push along the fronts in offensive linemen Gaynor, Reddy, Tautai Marks, Dirk Nelson and Owen Snively; as well as Cameron Bariteau and junior college transfer Brandon Hickerson-Rooks on the defensive front.

The program landed a quarterback in Temple transfer Todd Centeio, who will graduate in May and join the Rams with two years of immediate eligibility. Linebacker Aaron Moore rounded out the final February piece.

Combined, the class consists of six offensive linemen, five defensive linemen, a trio of linebackers, a pair of defensive backs and one each at quarterback, tight end, running back and an athlete.

They all came in early with the promise of getting a jump start on their college lives. Herndon showed up similar to Gaynor, though he did have a plan in place. While he wasn't sure he would stay, he brought everything with him just in case. He said it's all been new, especially waking up to snow on the ground this week, but it's all fit into his plans.

"It's a very big move, but I had heard about the new coaches coming in, great coaches from great colleges," he said. "I felt like I could bring some speed to the program and execute."

The head start was the big draw for all of them. By arriving in January, they all receive the benefit of having an extra spring camp in their back pocket, then five years in front of them should they redshirt.

What they give up is the final semester of high school, but for Casey Irons, who hurt his knee in his final high school game, the benefits were too good to pass up.

"Me being hurt, I figured it was best for me just starting the rehab," he said. "It would be a whole lot better here than in high school. Also, I get the edge on the other players. When they come in, I'll already know the system, and I'll be a little further ahead.

"It really wasn't a hard decision. It was probably one of the easiest decisions to make."

One of the biggest jumps of all may come in the classroom, leaving one building behind to learning the CSU campus, timing it out and starting workouts with the strength and conditioning staff.

When factoring in a chance to accelerate earning his degree, Fairview High School product Henry Blackburn felt it was the perfect setting to chase a lifelong dream to stay at home.

"Ever since I was a kid I always wanted to represent my state, so just getting this opportunity was such a blessing to me," Blackburn said. "I'm so thankful for it.

Bam Amina may have had the biggest move of all, coming in from Hawaii. He is giving up the opportunity to surf, but he figures he may learn to snowboard. He'd seen snow previously, but never when it was 70 degrees one day, then snow the next.

It's an adjustment, but to all of them, the promise of the payoff was too great to ignore.

"It was the fact I can step into the program earlier," Amina said. "Not only do I get the chance to start working with the team, learning the process and everything, it's also education wise. It's the first step into everything before it all happens. I definitely get a little heads up. Not only do you gain the opportunity to work and the chance to meet everyone, but you also gain that extra semester of experience."

The nice thing, all of them said, is they aren't alone in the process. They have new teammates who are experiencing the same firsts, learning a new routine and doing it away from home. Except for Gaynor, they all had considered the move. Now he's wondering if his dad didn't have a plan all along, primarily for his room.

"I'm sure it's like a man cave already," he said.

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