4. College Football News Preview 2020: Colorado State Rams Defense 3 Things To Know
– Defense was occasionally option under former head man Mike Bobo, but last year’s version was fantastic at getting into the backfield and led the Mountain West in pass defense.
Leading tackler Jamal Hicks is done at one safety spot, but senior Logan Stewart and his 76 tackles return to the other gig. Overall, the interceptions weren’t there in the secondary – just six picks on the season – but it made a whole lot of plays.
– There’s terrific upside on the defensive line with three starters back, plenty of size, a potentially good rotation, and two good pass rushers in Ellison Hubbard on the inside and Manny Jones outside. Throw in the addition of Miami transfer Scott Patchan, and the line should be a plus.
– A little bit of the potential depth is gone from the linebacking corps with three transfers, but the combination of Cam-Ron Carter and Dequan Jackson should combine for over 150 tackles. They can move and they’ll get in on everything, but Tron Folsom has to be replaced, and the backups need to emerge.