Colorado State University Athletics
Millen, Kelly Named Freshmen All-Americans by College Football News
12/6/2022 3:54:00 PM | Football
The honors continue a run of freshmen All-Americans for CSU dating back to 2019.
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FORT COLLINS, Colo. – Colorado State redshirt freshmen Clay Millen and Grady Kelly were named Freshmen All-Americans for their 2022 season by College Football News, the organization announced on Tuesday.
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Millen and Kelly were stalwart starters in the lineup for a young and developing Rams' squad in 2022, starting 10 games each during their first full season of competition, and appeared on the outlets Honorable Mention squads.
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In his first season as the Rams starting signal caller, Millen set the program single-season record for completion percentage at 72.2 (169 for 234) with an 8.2 yards per attempt average, the best by a Colorado State quarterback since Patrick O'Brien (8.3) and Collin Hill (8.2) in 2019. Additionally, Millen's 72.2 mark will also set an FBS record for a freshman – surpassing Kedon Slovis' mark of 71.9 set in 2019 – and is currently the second-highest mark for any Mountain West quarterback in league history.
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Kelly appeared in all 12 games for the Rams where he tallied 43 total tackles, 2.5 tackles for loss, and two pass breakups. He posted Pro Football Focus' seventh-highest pass rush grade by any freshman defensive tackle in the country. In conference play, Kelly anchored a defense that allowed the fourth-fewest yards and the second-fewest yards per play.
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Millen is the first freshman quarterback in school history to be named to an All-American team of any level since Kenny Hyde in 1925, Colorado State's first-ever All-American. Kelly is the first freshman defensive lineman to earn All-American honors since Matt Rupp in 2005.
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The Rams have now had a freshman All-American selection in each full season dating back to 2019. Millen and Kelly join teammate Jack Howell, a 2021 Football Writers Association of America Freshman All-American, in that group.
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FORT COLLINS, Colo. – Colorado State redshirt freshmen Clay Millen and Grady Kelly were named Freshmen All-Americans for their 2022 season by College Football News, the organization announced on Tuesday.
Â
Millen and Kelly were stalwart starters in the lineup for a young and developing Rams' squad in 2022, starting 10 games each during their first full season of competition, and appeared on the outlets Honorable Mention squads.
Â
In his first season as the Rams starting signal caller, Millen set the program single-season record for completion percentage at 72.2 (169 for 234) with an 8.2 yards per attempt average, the best by a Colorado State quarterback since Patrick O'Brien (8.3) and Collin Hill (8.2) in 2019. Additionally, Millen's 72.2 mark will also set an FBS record for a freshman – surpassing Kedon Slovis' mark of 71.9 set in 2019 – and is currently the second-highest mark for any Mountain West quarterback in league history.
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Kelly appeared in all 12 games for the Rams where he tallied 43 total tackles, 2.5 tackles for loss, and two pass breakups. He posted Pro Football Focus' seventh-highest pass rush grade by any freshman defensive tackle in the country. In conference play, Kelly anchored a defense that allowed the fourth-fewest yards and the second-fewest yards per play.
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Millen is the first freshman quarterback in school history to be named to an All-American team of any level since Kenny Hyde in 1925, Colorado State's first-ever All-American. Kelly is the first freshman defensive lineman to earn All-American honors since Matt Rupp in 2005.
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The Rams have now had a freshman All-American selection in each full season dating back to 2019. Millen and Kelly join teammate Jack Howell, a 2021 Football Writers Association of America Freshman All-American, in that group.
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