Colorado State football: Strengths and weaknesses of each position ...

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Colorado State football team, band practice fight song

The Colorado State football team, band and spirit squad did a dry run of a postgame fight song rendition following football practice on Saturday.

Year 3 of the Jay Norvell era of Colorado State football is here.

The first two years were highlighted by a big roster overhaul and significant depth chart changes each season.

That's not the case for this season, where many well-known veterans lead the starting lineup. There are new pieces sprinkled in and some intriguing position battles, but overall it is an established group.

Here is a breakdown by position group of the strengths and weaknesses of each unit ahead of the first game Aug. 31 at No. 4 Texas:

QUARTERBACK

Strength: Starter Brayden Fowler-Nicolosi was often electric last season, throwing for nearly 3,500 yards and 22 touchdowns in 11 starts. Now he has experience to build on it. He has a chance to be the top Mountain West quarterback.

Weakness: CSU's staff has a lot of confidence in the QB room, but it's an inexperienced group. Redshirt freshman Jackson Brousseau threw two passes in one brief appearance last season. True freshman Darius Curry is an exciting prospect, but for the future. Giles Pooler is the veteran of the group, but he has just 33 career pass attempts (he did throw a trick-play touchdown on a fake field goal last season).

RUNNING BACK

Strength: Depth. "I feel like I’ve got six guys that are Mountain West quality starters," running backs coach Jeremy Moses said. Justin Marshall will get the first crack at it after an electric end to 2023. Keegan Holles has surged up the depth chart coming back from his second knee injury. Kobe Johnson is a versatile, experienced veteran. Avery Morrow and Damian Henderson could be short-yardage weapons. And don't count out freshman Jalen Dupree, who has impressed in preseason. It's the most talent in CSU's running back room in years, and the skills of each should complement each other well.

Weakness: Consistency, perhaps? Johnson was excellent at North Dakota State but was injured last season. Morrow also battled injury last season. Marshall hasn't had a chance to sustain for a long period of games. Henderson, Holles and Dupree are unproven. No big concerns in the group, but there are plenty of unknowns.

RECEIVER

Strength: Tory Horton. Yeah, he's good enough to be a strength for the whole position group. Horton is a superstar and will go down as one of the best receivers in CSU history. There should be depth behind him, too. Baylor transfer Armani Winfield has looked the part of a dangerous weapon in camp. Cincinnati transfer Donovan Ollie has missed some time in camp injured but should be a lanky threat in the red zone. Youngsters Caleb Goodie, Jamari Person and Jordan Ross should all feature.

Weakness: Not a ton. There's enough depth that there should be quality. Consistency is the one question mark for the non-Horton receivers, who mostly haven't been in top roles in college yet.

TIGHT END

Strength: Competition. One of the big questions of the offseason was who would replace star tight end Dallin Holker. Vince Brown and Jaxxon Warren have made it a battle. Both are tall (Brown is listed at 6-foot-6 and Warren at 6-8) and rangy. Both have performed well in camp and look like they can contribute this season. Redshirt freshman Mason Muaau (6-foot-6) has also made some standout plays and could factor in.

Weakness: Limited experience. Brown had just four catches last year in his first season in FBS. Warren just moved from quarterback to tight end a year ago and has one season of junior college football at the position. Muaau appeared in one game as a true freshman.

OFFENSIVE LINE

Strength: Experience. This group is old, in the best way. Center Jacob Gardner has 45 career starts in college. Left tackle Saveyon Henderson has 32. Right guard Drew Moss has 34. Left guard Alex Foster is new to CSU (from Utah Tech), but he started the last 17 games he played. Then there's youngsters taking spots. Redshirt sophomore Aaron Karas is set to start at right tackle and redshirt freshmen Tanner Morley and Aitor Urionabarrenechea are backups. It has the look of a physical, steady group. This is the biggest and most experienced offensive line CSU has had in many, many years.

Weakness: How the young players will handle the burden is always a question mark and, especially in depth, it is mostly young players CSU is relying on. Any injuries to veterans could bring concern, but that's also true of almost all offensive lines.

DEFENSIVE LINE

Strength: CSU lost star Mohamed Kamara but might actually have a deeper defensive line. "Collectively, we have a lot of good guys that are fundamentally sound and are relentless in their play. It's got to be by committee this year," Norvell said. Defensive tackle Cam Bariteau is the steady force in the middle. James Mitchell is battling injury but is an important piece. Nuer Gatkuoth is also battling a camp injury but the Rams have hopes for him as a breakout pass rusher. Mukendi Wa-Kalonji is likely a starter on the edge. Transfers Will Prendergast (defensive tackle from FIU) and Gabe Kirsche (defensive end from Wisconsin) are both set for important roles.

Weakness: The injuries to Gatkuoth and Mitchell are worth monitoring. And replacing Kamara's 13 sacks will be a challenge, even by committee. A lot of the group are unproven in big roles.

LINEBACKER

Strength: The two starters are as close to the overall athletic profile this staff seeks as the Rams have had. Chase Wilson is a captain and coming off a season with 8.5 tackles for loss and more than 100 total tackles. He's steady. Sophomore Buom Jock just started playing linebacker when he came to CSU but at 6-foot-4, 235 pounds, he's fast and dynamic. He could be in for a big year.

Weakness: Depth beyond the starters. CSU only plays two linebackers, so the Rams don't need a ton, but there's not much experience behind the top two. Redshirt freshman Drew Rodriguez played in one game last season. True freshman Jaden Landrum could push for time. Redshirt freshman Niko Lopez could, as well.

DEFENSIVE BACK

Strength: There's a ton of experience at safety in Jack Howell and Henry Blackburn, who are both captains. They're tackle machines and can force turnovers. The Rams also look to have solid depth at nickel, where Dom Morris seems to have won the job over Ayden Hector, but both will play. Dom Jones is the top corner and has the length and athleticism to be a dynamic playmaker. The Rams also have experienced FBS transfers in Elias Larry (Navy) and Isaiah Essissima (Nevada) for the second cornerback spot.

Weakness: Can the group slow the big pass plays? CSU was beat too often last season. There is a lot of experience, but it hasn't led to a shutdown secondary yet. This group has to prove itself.

SPECIAL TEAMS

Strength: CSU could have one of the best special teams units in the Mountain West. Tory Horton is a dynamic punt returner who most teams will kick away from. Kobe Johnson had a kick return touchdown last season before he was hurt. Paddy Turner is reliable in limiting returns and putting return units in chaos. Jordan Noyes was steady last season and has a strong leg. The Rams even scored on a fake field goal last season.

Weakness: The only real concern is Noyes, who has been unable to kick in preseason due to an injury. The Rams need him healthy. The kick game becomes a real question mark if he can't kick (or is limited).

Follow sports reporter Kevin Lytle on X and Instagram @Kevin_Lytle.