FORT COLLINS — If there’s such a designation as the “old man” of Colorado State’s freshman class, it’s defensive end C.J. James.
He’s not fresh off an airplane like many of his classmates. But he hasn’t stood on the sideline on game day with last fall’s freshmen.
James is a second-semester freshman, a Floridian who sacrificed the spring of his senior year in high school to get a head start on CSU’s offseason training and spring ball.
“I needed to get past the homesick stage,” the 6-foot-3, 241-pound self-described “mama’s boy” said. “Now I’m actually playing football and not focusing on all that ‘I miss my mom, I miss home’ stuff.”
Fellow Floridian and freshman defensive lineman Te’Jay Brown said the cool, dry summer air has helped ease the homesickness. While he’s struggling with the altitude, James has adapted.
In doing so, James earned the respect of homegrown upperclassmen including end and tackle Ty Whittier, a former walk-on from Poudre.
“C.J. has some experience and kind of knows how we work things,” Whittier said. “He has a little bit of a jump-start. It’s a hard thing to do to (graduate from high school early). He made the transition really well.”
Whittier and Cory Macon are the Rams’ likely starters at defensive end. Whittier might also play inside, leaving no worse than backup duty for James and redshirt freshman Zach Tiedgen.
James called his own shot with the midyear enrollment.
“A young man has to want to do it,” CSU coach Steve Fairchild said. “I don’t encourage it or discourage it. C.J. announced to us during the recruiting process this is what he was going to do.”
James turned in one of Saturday’s top defensive plays when he sacked freshman quarterback Nico Ranieri, stripping the ball.
“I got my arms around him this time and made him fumble,” James said of a no-fumble sack of Ranieri as Orlando, Fla., high school rivals.
And no, he didn’t feel badly that Ranieri may redshirt with a hernia.
“Coach put him in and said ‘live’ and you want me to stop?” James said.
Along with Brown, running backs Chris Nwoke and Lou Greenwood and safety Ezra Thompson James could contribute early. Punter Pete Kontodiakos has already been named a starter.
Footnote.
Former Kansas State walk-on quarterback M.J. McPeek, from Range-view, contacted CSU about walking on and will have to sit out a transfer year. Fairchild said a “fourth arm” behind the Rams’ three scholarship QBs will be valuable.
Natalie Meisler: 303-954-1295 or nmeisler@denverpost.com
