Big CSU Rams tight ends ready to fill void left behind by Dallin Holker

FORT COLLINS — There’s a giant hole in the Colorado State tight end room.

About 64 catches, 767 yards and six touchdowns worth of production, to be exact.

The Rams certainly wanted to bring Dallin Holker back after his standout 2023 season, but already 24 years old and a Mackey Award finalist, the Utah native took his chance in the NFL Draft and while going undrafted, he’s impressed as a free agent signing for the New Orleans Saints and might be earning himself a role in the offense as a rookie with a strong offseason.

That’s left CSU with the challenge of trying to replace their All-American tight end with two guys still relatively new to the position. But that’s just how they like it.

“We just use our tight ends in a unique way,” CSU tight ends coach James Finley told The Denver Gazette. “I don’t think anyone in the country uses ‘em like we use ‘em.”

The first man up will likely be Vince Brown II, who enters his second season with the Rams after transferring from the College of DuPage, where he was a standout wide receiver for a team that won back-to-back NJCAA Division III national championships.

Watching Holker from the sidelines last season, the 6-foot-6 Brown saw how an All-American approached the game on a daily basis and has been fueled by the opportunity to seize the spot in the starting lineup.

“Once I got the news that Dallin left in the offseason, it kinda clicked (that) this spot could finally be mine (and) I’ve got something to work for,” Brown said. “I have a different chip on my shoulder I’ve never felt ever in my life. From spring ball to now, I’ve (gained) so much confidence of what to do in this offense and how to be productive and I feel like if the coaches give me the chance, I’ll definitely be productive.”

The Illinois native has had a solid camp and produced the biggest highlight of the team’s first scrimmage by running over a defender on the way to a catch-and-run touchdown.

Brown’s biggest competition for the starting spot is the rare teammate that actually has him beat in the height department.

Newcomer Jaxxon Warren came to CSU from Navarro Junior College where he moved from quarterback to tight end and became a player that was coveted by Power 4 teams after less than a season at the position.

Warren chose the Rams over offers from the likes of Central Florida, SMU and Oregon State. His connection to the CSU coaching staff dates back to his attendance at a quarterback camp at Nevada hosted by now-Rams associate head coach Matt Mumme, but it was actually an hour-long phone call with Holker that sealed Warren’s decision to transfer to CSU.

“He really solidified everything I was hearing from the staff,” Warren told The Denver Gazette. “He’s a great person and I know they have a great tradition of tight ends here and I know they’re gonna put me in the best situations to succeed. I knew in my heart that this was where I wanted to be.”

It’s not just Holker that Jay Norvell’s staff can use as proof of what they can get out of the tight end position. At Nevada, Norvell and Mumme turned Cole Turner from an under-recruited high school wide receiver to an all-Mountain West tight end.

They think Warren, who’s still got three years of eligibility left and brings a unique perspective to the position with his quarterback background, could be on the same path.

“He’s a special kid and he’s got a really big opportunity in front of him,” Mumme told The Denver Gazette. “It’s interesting to see where he went from as a high school quarterback coming to my quarterback school at Nevada being a guy around 6-(foot)-5, 190 pounds to where he is now (at) 6-(foot)-7 and a half and weighs 245 (pounds). He’s really changed his body and he’s really still growing into that.”

There will certainly be growing pains this season and no one is expecting either one of Brown or Warren to come in and immediately be as productive as Holker was on his own. The good news is they know that, too.

“It’s definitely a group project,” Brown said. “We all have our different abilities of what we’re good at. The spot is still up for grabs.”

Captains Corner

Colorado State coach Jay Norvell announced the Rams’ six team captains Saturday:

C Jacob Gardner, grad student, Rancho Cucamonga, Calif. (Los Osos)P Paddy Turner, grad student, Ararat, VIC, AustraliaWR Tory Horton, grad student, Fresno, Calif. (Washington Union)DB Henry Blackburn, grad student, Boulder (Fairview)DB Jack Howell, senior, Fort Collins (Hamilton (Ariz.))LB Chase Wilson, senior, Arvada (Ralston Valley)