Agurs Sees Gains from Year of Exploration

When a football coach talks about growth, one might immediately think in terms of the weight room. It make sense. They speak to the desire of players getting bigger, faster and stronger. For certain positions, such as a defender like Kenyon Agurs, adding pounds isn't a bad thing. Neither is muscle.

But that's not where Colorado State defensive coordinator Tyson Summers was going with the assessment. His reference was to what the helmet protects upstairs.

"I think he's grown so much, and by growth, I don't necessarily mean he's taller or he's heavier. I just mean that I think being forced into some of those situations, where he played at Jack one week and moved inside a lot," Summers said. "He only played one year of high school football. Now he comes into this year, and he really understands and can compartmentalize what it is. So yes, we still move him around a decent bit, but he's really doing well.

"I think that he's had a tremendous amount of growth in his understanding of what we're trying to do. He's always worked really hard. He's always really thought hard about it and put in the time, but I think you're gonna have to see a big year for him."

Agurs looks back to 2025 and grins. Last season was a lot. Injuries were part of the reason he shifted around the defense. His skillset was a big part of it, too. At 6-foot-5, he's physically imposing and strong, so he fits the part for a lot of parts. A rush end. The Jack linebacker Summers employs. He can move people in the interior.

While he was learning a lot, in his mind he kept it pretty basic.

"So with me, moving around position wise, I came in playing defensive end, so it was kind of like going back to my roots. Jack was a new thing," Agurs said. "Either way would have worked, but I just feel like all in all, football is football. You go out there and have fun no matter what I'm doing."

Kyle Krantz, who coaches Jacks, is new to Agurs, but he knows what he saw and what his eyes led him to believe. Nothing about the player he watched live or on tape suggested he was pretty much a newbie to the sport.

Appearances are deceiving and the education of a player is always ongoing and Krantz has taken note of where Agurs' understanding stands.

"It's shocking, so the nice thing about it is there's so much more room for growth. You lost all those reps that guys get playing little league in high school," Krantz said. "We're still catching up with that, but he's a tremendous talent and a great human being.

"You can see it in meetings with the questions that he asked. Having to play defensive end last year, having to move around a bunch, he's got a really good awareness of where people are around him, what they're doing. And again, it shows up in meetings, it shows up in practice."

Agurs is their Jack, but it's a position which comes with a long list of asks, a variety of places where he will line up. Agurs, by definition, is the Rams' Jack of all trades.

That's the part of the quote people know. What they forget is the important second half which has been lost in time, the part which explains the true value of Agurs: "Jack of all trades but master of none, often better than the master of one."

That's most certainly fact for the Rams. He knows so much more about not just his position, but because he has knowledge of others, his overall understanding of where his duties fall into the overall concept make him a better player heading into the season.

"Compared to last year, I feel like I know the knicks and knacks of what we want getting after quarterback. So yeah, I feel like my knowledge is up here," Agurs said. "It definitely helps because when you're comfortable around your defense, it kind of helps with confidence, confidence you're able to just play fast. So it definitely helps play faster."

Summers wants his defense to excel. He also wants Agurs to have the best film on file if and when the next level comes to watch. He values Agurs so much, he expects he could thrive if he stayed at one spot. He also takes into consideration for the whole defense to thrive, a little variety for Agurs may be the ticket.

It's yet to be seen, not that Agurs concerns himself much with those decisions made as coaches devise game plans. He likes knowing all the trades. Quite simply, he just likes to play, to hit, to engage and disrupt an opposing offense. Whatever they ask, he's ready to comply. Besides, it's good to feel needed, regardless of where.

"It is a compliment. I just feel like all the work behind the scenes, spring, summer. I was able to show that I'm versatile," Agurs said. "It was a show that I'm out there to go play, out there in a slot or cover.

"I'm fine with whatever Summers wants me to do. Like I said, defense is defense, football is football. So I'm going to go out there, whatever he wants me to do. One way or the other, I'm going to be rushing a quarterback."

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