Captains have been picked for the 2025 Colorado State football season.
Players voted on the honor and six players will wear the distinction with a “C” on their uniforms. The group is a mix of longtime Rams and ones new to CSU. Some college football veterans and relative newbies.
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CSU coach Jay Norvell announced them to the team Aug. 16 in what signified the end of preseason camp and the start of in-season prep.
Here’s a look at CSU’s captains:
Quarterback Brayden Fowler-Nicolosi
Fowler-Nicolosi became a captain during the 2024 season after receiver Tory Horton was injured, but this is his first full season with a “C” after a teammate vote. The 6-foot-2 redshirt junior out of Aledo High School in Texas has played 28 career games as a Ram and is nearing Garrett Grayson’s all-time passing record.
Linebacker Owen Long
A sophomore from California, Long is the youngest captain and earns the status with just one career start (the Arizona Bowl) under his belt. Long quickly grabbed attention as a freshman from coaches and appeared in all 13 games, making 45 tackles.
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Defensive end Mukendi Wa-Kalonji
A quiet presence, but a steady and reliable veteran who has seen it all at CSU. The Grandview High School graduate was a Steve Addazio signing and redshirted in Addazio’s final season. He’s steadily grown his role during Norvell’s tenure and has played 37 career games with 3.5 sacks and 7.5 tackles-for-loss.
Linebacker Jacob Ellis
The 6-foot Ellis is originally from California but is well-traveled in college football. Ellis played one season at Iowa Western and the last three at Iowa State. He joined the Rams in the spring and quickly established himself as a leader. Ellis had 19 games played, eight starts and 56 total tackles at Iowa State. Ellis and his girlfriend recently made custom hoodies for CSU’s linebackers.
Offensive guard Tanner Morley
A mountain of a man (6-foot-7, 325 pounds) and personality to match, Morley has become one of the faces of the program. The redshirt sophomore established himself as a starter last season (10 total starts) and is now an anchor of the offensive line. The Valor Christian graduate is the starting left guard.
Linebacker JaQues Evans
The name on the roster is JaQues Evans, but expect to hear him referred to as “Donut” by players and coaches. Evans is another player new to CSU, but after arriving in spring he quickly became a trusted leader. Evans is in his final year of college football after four at Western Kentucky and one at Baylor. He was the 2022 C-USA Defensive Player of the Year in the Tyson Summers defense at Western Kentucky.
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Follow sports reporter Kevin Lytle on X and Instagram @Kevin_Lytle.
This article originally appeared on Fort Collins Coloradoan: Meet the 2025 Colorado State football captains
